February 4, 2026
Disliking/Hating Tendency
Mental Models for IT
The Disliking/Hating Tendency describes the human propensity to assign negative emotions or aversion to people, ideas, or outcomes, often without rational justification. It influences decision-making by amplifying negative emotions or aversions toward certain people, technologies, processes, or outcomes. It is a mental model that explains how prejudices, past traumas, or cultural narratives can distort judgment, leading to suboptimal choices.
An IT leader may develop a strong aversion to a particular vendor due to a past failed project, even if the vendor now offers superior solutions. Similarly, a team might resist adopting a new technology because of a generalized dislike of change, despite its potential benefits.
While emotions are natural, they can blind us to opportunities or trap us in cycles of resistance if left unchecked.
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The Disliking/Hating Tendency describes the human propensity to assign negative emotions or aversion to people, ideas, or outcomes, often without rational justification. It influences decision-making by amplifying negative emotions or aversions toward certain people, technologies, processes, or outcomes. It is a mental model that explains how prejudices, past traumas, or cultural narratives can distort judgment, leading to suboptimal choices. For example, an IT leader may develop a strong aversion to a particular vendor due to a past failed project, even if the vendor now offers superior solutions. Similarly, a team might resist adopting a new technology because of a generalized dislike of change, despite its potential benefits. While emotions are natural, they can blind us to opportunities or trap us in cycles of resistance if left unchecked.
This tendency is closely related to the “negativity bias” (the brain’s tendency to prioritize negative experiences over positive ones) and the “hostile attribution bias” (interpreting others’ ambiguous actions as hostile). This model falls under the category of emotional decision-making biases, which highlight how unconscious feelings can override objective analysis.
Also see: Charlie Munger’s 25 Cognitive Biases | Mungership
IT Decision-Making Scenarios
- Vendor Aversion: An IT leader may develop a strong dislike for a cloud provider after a failed migration, leading to biased decisions to avoid working with that provider, even if it offers the most cost-effective solution.
- Resistance to Automation: A team may hate a new automation tool due to its complex interface, despite its potential to reduce manual errors and save time.
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