Anchor Check

Say this

What's the first number I heard — and what would I say without it?

Do this now 2 min

Identify the first number, price, or reference point you encountered in this decision. Write it down and label it "anchor." Now generate your own independent estimate from scratch. Compare.

Use when

A negotiation, salary discussion, price quote, or first opinion has set the opening frame.

Avoid when

The anchor is a verified, authoritative data point that genuinely represents fair value.

Why it works

First numbers exert gravitational pull on all subsequent estimates, even when arbitrary — generating your own figure breaks that pull.

The first number you encounter in any decision — a price, a salary, a time estimate — exerts gravitational pull on everything that follows. Your brain doesn’t evaluate from scratch; it adjusts from whatever reference point it received first, and it adjusts insufficiently. This happens even when the anchor is obviously arbitrary. The effect is strongest when the anchor seems reasonable, because you don’t think to question it. Building your own independent estimate before comparing breaks the pull. Name the anchor, then ignore it while you calculate.

Go deeper · 8 min read

Anchoring Bias: Why the First Number You Hear Distorts Every Number After It

Your brain doesn't evaluate from a blank slate. It adjusts from whatever reference point it encounters first — and the adjustment is never large enough. That first number shapes the final answer more than any analysis that follows it.