People who Google things they already know just to feel sure usually show these 7 traits (according to psychology)

Crafting a life where you trust your own judgment is harder than it sounds—especially now that the world’s facts are one tap away.

If you sometimes Google things you already know just to feel sure, you’re not broken. You’re human.

And psychology has a few names for what’s going on.

Let’s get into the seven traits I see most often behind that “just to be safe” search.

1. A high need for closure

Some of us have a stronger drive to end uncertainty fast. Social psychologist Arie Kruglanski described the need for closure as the “desire for a firm answer to a question… as opposed to confusion and/or ambiguity.”

When that’s cranked up, the brain treats ambiguity like an itch that must be scratched—so you scratch it with a quick search.

This isn’t about intelligence. It’s about comfort. If your inner thermostat is set to “I need to know now,” you’ll reach for the fastest certainty you can find.

That’s a feature in emergencies; it’s a tax on everyday decisions.

A small shift helps: before searching, ask, “What would change if I were 80% sure?” Most of the time, 80% is enough to move.

2. Low tolerance for uncertainty

Closely related, but not identical, is how allergic you are to “not knowing.”

In clinical language, reassurance-seeking can temporarily reduce anxiety but keeps the anxiety loop alive—so the more you check, the more checking you crave next time.

If you’ve ever looked up the same cooking temperature, definition, or bus route three times in one hour, you’ve felt this loop in action.

My personal tell: I’ll finish drafting a paragraph, feel a twinge of doubt about a term I’ve used for years, and reflexively open a new tab.

The search doesn’t add knowledge; it lowers tension. When I name that (“Ah, this is tension reduction, not learning”), the urge eases.

Try this: delay the check by two minutes. Set a timer. If the discomfort drops on its own (it often does), you’ve kept the loop from getting fed.

3. Perfectionism in disguise

Googling what you already know is sometimes perfectionism wearing a lab coat.

The story goes, “I’m just being thorough,” but the subtext is, “If I get this wrong, something bad happens—embarrassment, a call-out, a missed opportunity.”

Perfectionism turns “close enough” into “not acceptable.” It confuses accuracy with identity: if the fact is off, I’m off. That’s a heavy way to live.

A practical reframe I use: define “accurate enough” before you start. For a casual text? 70–80% confidence.

For a published piece? 95%. Pre-committing prevents endless topping-up.

4. External validation loops

If you grew up in systems where approval mattered more than autonomy (school, strict workplaces, even certain family dynamics), it’s easy to outsource certainty.

A search result feels like a teacher’s gold star.

On travel days, I catch myself triple-checking subway transfers in cities I know well. It’s not about directions; it’s about wanting the map to bless my decision. T

hat’s an external validation loop: “I won’t trust me unless something authoritative nods.”

Break the loop by running tiny experiments: make a call without checking, then write down the outcome.

The wins prove to your nervous system that your memory and judgment are trustworthy. (They usually are.)

5. Confirmation hunting

Ever notice how your “check” is really a hunt for a page that matches what you already think?

That’s classic confirmation bias, and it’s catnip when you’re uneasy. We tell ourselves we’re “verifying,” but we filter for headlines that agree.

The fix isn’t to go full debate-club with yourself. It’s to add one disconfirming search to the mix: include the word “counterexample” or “critique” alongside your query.

If your memory still stands up, great. If it doesn’t, you just upgraded your model of the world.

Either way, you step out of the echo chamber.

6. Maximizer decision style

Some people are satisficers: they pick a good-enough option and move.

Maximizers want the best option—and keep scanning until they’re sure they found it.

If you’re a maximizer, you’ll keep looking up facts you already know, because “what if there’s a slightly better phrasing/date/source elsewhere?”

I’ve mentioned this before but maximizing isn’t a moral failing; it’s a style that trades speed for certainty.

It shines for buying a camera or booking a once-in-a-decade trip. It’s a slog for micro-choices all day.

What helps me is creating “max zones” and “satisfice zones.” I maximize on creative craft and relationships. I satisfice on snack choices, tab labels, and whether the synonym is perfect or just fine.

Draw your own map and you’ll search less by default.

7. Habit-driven checking (the Google effect)

There’s also something modern and simple at play: habit.

The more we offload facts to search, the more our brains remember where to find information instead of the details themselves.

That famous Science paper even titled it, “Google effects on memory: cognitive consequences of having information at our fingertips.”

That line makes me smile—because it’s true and it’s neutral. We’re just adapting to our tools. Paper. Science

Here’s the twist: a habit can be reshaped. Replace mindless checks with a “one-shot recall.” Before you search, write the answer you believe is right.

Then, if you must, verify once. Over time, your first guess gets sharper—and your need to check drops.

How to build “earned certainty” (without over-Googling)

Quick ideas I use and share with coaching clients:

• Set a certainty budget. “Two checks max, then ship.” Put it in the project notes so you see it when you’re tempted.

• Use friction as a friend. Keep a sticky note with common answers you tend to re-check (password rules, time conversions you use weekly, your oven’s actual temperature). If it’s in reach, the browser is less tempting.

• Practice “uncertainty reps.” Once a day, make a small decision without looking it up. Log it. Wins accumulate into self-trust.

• Ask a better question. Instead of “Am I 100% right?” try “Is this right enough for the stakes?” That framing alone can save 20 minutes.

The bottom line

Googling what you already know is usually a mix of these seven: a push for closure, low tolerance for uncertainty, perfectionism, validation loops, confirmation hunting, maximizing, and plain old habit.

None of those make you weak. They make you human in a high-speed world.

The goal isn’t to stop checking forever. It’s to check on purpose—and to build the kind of self-trust that doesn’t need a search bar to breathe.