Omission Bias:

Omission Bias:

Omission bias is a type of cognitive bias where people tend to judge harmful actions as worse or more morally wrong than equally harmful inactions (omissions), even when the outcomes are the same or worse. In other words, we often perceive harm caused by doing something as more blameworthy than harm caused by doing nothing.

Example:
Action: A doctor gives a patient a treatment that causes harmful side effects.
Omission: The doctor withholds a treatment that could have prevented harm, resulting in the patient getting worse.
Even if both lead to the same negative outcome, many people would judge the action (giving the harmful treatment) more harshly than the inaction (withholding the treatment), due to omission bias.

Why It Happens:
It feels less responsible to “let something happen” than to “make something happen.”
People tend to associate guilt more with direct actions than with passive choices.
Risk aversion — doing nothing feels “safer.”
In Real Life:
Medical decisions: Doctors may avoid aggressive treatments due to fear of causing harm, even if inaction is riskier.
Sports: A referee may avoid making a controversial call, thinking not acting is more “neutral.”
Ethics: In moral dilemmas, people often prefer omissions over actions, even when the outcomes are morally equal.
Shervan K Shahhian