When Patterns Mislead

False pattern recognition causes real problems:

• Gambler's fallacy — after five reds on a roulette wheel, you "know" black is coming (the wheel has no memory)
• Superstitions — wearing lucky socks that were on during a win creates a false causal pattern
• Medical misdiagnosis — a doctor recognizes a pattern from a previous patient and stops looking for the actual condition
• Conspiracy theories — connecting unrelated events into a grand narrative feels like discovering a hidden truth.