23/02/2022
Fundamental attribution error
In short, it is the tendency to judge others differently than if you were judging yourself - a cognitive bias. It has two forms: The first is activated when things are bad. And the second is the opposite: when it's good.
For example, you went to the cinema. After about 20 minutes after the start of the film, the door opens and another spectator enters. You assumed that he was a tactless brute, although you have no idea why he was late. This is the first form.
The second is different. If you are successful at something, you tend to believe that it is the result of your talents and efforts. It may be true, but when the other person succeeds, your bias makes you think they are lucky.
We tend to rely on our own doubts and assumptions in reasoning about others, without knowing the details. There is only one reason: I want an explanation. As a result, a person who is late for a session looks like a scoundrel in your eyes.
And in the case of yourself, attributing success to your magnificence, as in the second case, is an increase in self-confidence. And it has a positive effect on future life outcomes.
The fundamental attribution error is both friend and foe. A little overestimation of one's own efforts is helpful, but premature judgments of others are not.
To avoid it, try not to judge other people until you have more information about their actions and motives.
After all, a latecomer to the cinema could help his grandmother cross the road. He could stumble upon an accident with a collision with a pedestrian and helped deliver the victim to the hospital. Would you think after this that he is a tactless brute?
Never jump to conclusions based on your personal judgments. Consider the risk of a fundamental attribution error. This will positively affect not only your development, but also your personal reputation.
