Fundamental Attribution Error: Judging Others vs. Yourself

The Situation vs. The Person

Imagine someone cuts you off in traffic. What do you think? “What a jerk! He’s a terrible driver.” You attribute his action to his personality. Now imagine you cut someone off. What do you think? “I didn’t see him because of the blind spot,” or “I’m in a rush for an emergency.” You attribute your action to the situation. This is the Fundamental Attribution Error. We judge others by their character, but we judge ourselves by our circumstances.

Empathy Gap

This bias kills empathy. We assume the homeless person is lazy (character), ignoring the economic collapse (situation). We assume the grumpy cashier is rude (character), ignoring that she just got yelled at (situation).

The Solution: Pause

Next time someone annoys you, pause. Ask: “What situation could cause a reasonable person to act this way?” Maybe they are tired, sick, or stressed. Give them the same benefit of the doubt you give yourself.