We observe little and judge a lot

Don't underestimate the circumstances of others

🏷️ Categories: Personal stories, Decision making and biases, Social relationships

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Imagine you are walking down the street.

You stop at the zebra crossing and look both ways before crossing. However, just before you move forward, you see a car approaching, passing in front of you, ignoring the STOP sign and almost hitting you.

Your first thought towards that person will probably contain insults.

At the very least you will think that he is reckless and should never drive again.

In reality, he could have ignored the STOP sign because…

• It is poorly marked or covered by vegetation.

• He had a terrible day, he is in a bad mood and only think about getting home.

• He is confused because he is in an area he doesn’t know well.

• The sun just happened to blind the person and he did not see you.

• Or simply because everyone makes mistakes.

But no, nobody thinks about these causes when judging the actions of others. However, when you have ever ignored a STOP sign, the first thing you think is…

• I was in a hurry and I know the area, it is not a problem.

• There was no one there, so it didn't matter.

• I didn't see the STOP because it was covered by vegetation.

• The sun was shining in my face at that moment and I didn't see the STOP.

• We are people, we all make mistakes.

Same action, different judgment.

Why do we judge the actions of others so harshly but not our own?

Fundamental attribution error

The fundamental attribution error is the bias whereby you tend to think that a person's behavior is due to "that person being like that." That is, instead of considering the circumstances of the situation (external factors), you simply assume that the person is like that (internal factor) (Ross, 1977).

Just one action is enough for us to make interpretations of this type.

If you have looked for a partner, you have surely heard supposed details that are indications that someone would not be a good partner. Believing that a single action can "say a lot" about someone's character is a very tempting way of explaining the world. The problem is that the world is much more complex than that.

These would be very hasty conclusions, right?

Well, we make them all the time, often without even realizing it.

Why are we like this?

It's not just you, it's innate and it's due to 3 factors (Ross & Nisbett, 2011).

1. Limited information: When you observe others, what you have before your eyes is a specific action. You don't know the details of their life or the circumstances of the context. Just an action. That's why you generalize. (Heider, 1982).

2. You only focus on one part: Your attention is focused on the person, so you overvalue the person's characteristics and undervalue the context that may have influenced it. That's why you don't think that the sun could have dazzled the person and that's why he didn't see the STOP sign. You only see their act of ignoring the sign and you think that he is reckless and don't know how to drive.

3. Search for coherence: Our brain searches for patterns to try to predict the world around us. When you generalize thinking that that person acts like that because of their way of being, you're looking for coherence to be able to predict. Think about it, if you say, “She is reckless because she ran a stop sign,” you are already assuming that this person always acts recklessly. The reality is that you have just jumped to a conclusion because of the anger this person has made you feel.

Don't judge so quickly

This bias is one of those truths that once you know it, it changes your mindset.

Last Friday, while I was waiting for the bus at the bus stop, I noticed that it was very late, which is unusual: about 20 minutes. There was a noticeable impatience among the passengers, many were already in a bad mood and complaining about the service. When the bus finally arrived and the driver opened the door, a man said to him in an annoyed tone: "What a service! 20 minutes late!" The driver, very irritated by the comment, replied: "What you don't know is that there was an accident at the station intersection and the police had to close the street."

I couldn't stop thinking about this bias, which is why I wrote this letter.

The next time you see a situation in which you are tempted to judge someone for their actions, stop and remember this bias. Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes, practice empathy and think about what factors led them to act that way. Keeping this bias in mind will make you a more prudent and less prejudiced person.

The world is not divided into good and bad people.

Nothing is black or white.

✍️ It's your turn: Do you do the exercise of thinking about the circumstances that lead others to act in a certain way? Empathy is what connects us as people.

💭 Quote of the day: "I am me and my circumstances" José Ortega y Gasset.

See you soon, take care of yourself and look before crossing the street! 👋

References 📚

1. Heider, F. (1982). The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations. Psychology Press.

2. Ross, L. (1977). "The intuitive psychologist and his shortcomings: Distortions in the attribution process". In Berkowitz, L. (ed.). Advances in experimental social psychology. 10. New York: Academic Press. pp. 173–220.

3. Ross, L., & Nisbett, R. E. (2011). The Person and the Situation: Perspectives of Social Psychology. Pinter & Martin Publishers.