Decision-Making Biases

Escalation of commitment

Investing more to defend a previous decision.

What Is Escalation of commitment?

Escalation of commitment is a thinking trap where investing more to defend a previous decision.

How It Tricks You

It can make one option feel obvious before the tradeoffs have been checked.

Real-World Example

A company keeps funding a failing project to avoid admitting the first bet was wrong.

Seen Online As

• The easiest option is starting to feel like the best one.
• I am defending the choice before comparing alternatives.
• The risk I can feel is louder than the risk I should calculate.

What To Ask Instead

Am I protecting the goal or my ego?

Related Thinking Traps

• Anchoring bias
• Confirmation bias
• Framing effect
• Loss aversion

Common Situations

• Thinking Traps at Work
• Thinking Traps with AI Prompts
• Thinking Traps in Money Decisions

Quick FAQ

What is Escalation of commitment?

Investing more to defend a previous decision.

What is an example of Escalation of commitment?

A company keeps funding a failing project to avoid admitting the first bet was wrong.

How do I spot Escalation of commitment?

Am I protecting the goal or my ego?