Glossary

Plain-language definitions of the terms we use on Surbias and around survivorship bias.

Survivorship bias: The cognitive distortion of analyzing only what survived a selection process while ignoring what didn't. The reason "successful people do X" advice is usually meaningless. — full guide
Hindsight bias: The "I knew it all along" effect. After an outcome, we believe we predicted it — distorting how we evaluate decisions made under uncertainty.
Selection bias: When the data we analyze isn't a random sample of reality. Survivorship bias is one specific type of selection bias.
Confirmation bias: Seeking information that confirms what we already believe and dismissing what doesn't.
Counterfactual: What would have happened if we'd made a different choice. Counterfactual thinking is the antidote to "it worked out, so it was the right call."
Base rate: The frequency of an outcome in the general population. "Most startups fail within 5 years" is a base rate. Ignoring base rates is how survivorship bias survives.
Postmortem: A structured analysis of why something failed, written after the fact. Surbias is a public, informal version of this.
Anonymous post: A post on Surbias attached to a user account but displayed without the author's name. The default for all posts.
Empathetic reaction: Surbias's alternative to "likes." Five options: me too, hug, strength, respect, solidarity. Designed to mirror what people actually feel reading a vulnerable story.
"Me too": The Surbias reaction that means "I've been there." The most-used reaction across the platform.
Failure of the Week: The most-reacted-to story in the last 7 days. Featured prominently on the homepage.
Story prompt: A weekly question that rotates on the homepage to help people who want to share but don't know where to start.
Failure category: One of seven buckets a story can be filed under: career, business, education, relationships, health, financial, other.