Cognitive biases #4: Loss aversion
Why it’s actually worse to have loved and lost—and why that makes for worse decisions
O n June 3, 2024, I lost one of the most steadfast presences in my life. Max the cat was 20 years old, and I loved him deeply. For good reason. He’d outlasted my marriage, made homes with me in many different cities, walked with me through a few different jobs.
I knew he wasn’t, but he kinda seemed immortal.
Until he didn’t.
A few years ago, he’d been trained him to jump over my arm to get his treats every morning. And then one day, in August of 2023, he stopped jumping. He’d come up to my arm, bounce himself a little bit, and then give up.
Over the next few weeks, he needed my arm to get closer and closer to the floor before he’d eventually just step over it. The vet diagnosed Max with a spinal tumor and gave him a few weeks to live.
He defied the odds, that glorious little cat, and gave me almost an entire extra year with him.
Since his diagnosis, my only prayer had been that I would get to be with him when the inevitable happened. I travel a lot for work, so that wasn’t a guarantee.
But, early in the morning of June 2, 2024, my partner called me while I was in…
