Why do we blame others for others' mistakes, and circumstances for ours?

In an experiment by social psychologist Stanley Milgram, “teachers” thought they were punishing “students” with electric shocks for incorrect answers, and gradually increased the voltage. 65% of the participants reached 450 volts, despite the fact that the actors playing the "students" portrayed suffering and the "teachers" saw how bad they were.

Are all these people bloody sadists and indifferent bastards? Not at all.

Eyewitnesses to Kitty's murder knew everyone could hear her screams, and they thought someone had probably already called the police. Students rushed to the lecture: in the second group, where the participants were given more time, 63% helped the patient. In Milgram's experiment, people were told to shock the "students" and they simply obeyed the orders.

Chances are, under these circumstances, you would do the same. People are extremely influenced by the situation, but this is not at all obvious when you look at an event from the perspective of an observer.

We justify our actions by the situation, and in other people's affairs, circumstances often remain behind the scenes, so the person is criticized. This phenomenon is called the fundamental attribution error, and we constantly encounter it in everyday life.

What is the essence of the phenomenon

A fundamental attribution error occurs when a person underestimates the impact of a situation on the behavior of others and overestimates the contribution of their personality.

In 1967, this feature was discovered in a psychological experiment. Students were asked to write an essay about Fidel Castro. Some were told to write a positive review in support of the Cuban leader, others a negative one. After the presentation of the essay, the audience was asked how much each student supported the views expressed in their work.

Of course, the audience felt that if the author writes well about Fidel, he supports him, and if not, then he does not. But when scientists explained that there was really no choice to speak positively or negatively about Castro, the picture did not change. Yes, the listeners understood that the students were forced to write that way, but still it seemed to them that the authors at least slightly agreed with the position set out in the essay.

In 1977, psychologist Lee Ross named this phenomenon "fundamental attribution error."

How a mistake ruins our lives

A fundamental attribution error is responsible for many domestic quarrels and misleading conclusions. For example, a young couple quarrels because they have different views on how to spend the weekend.

The girl wants to leave the house and have fun with her friends and accuses the guy of being "inert and boring" because she prefers to sit on the couch and watch movies.

At the same time, the girl's working day is at home, where she sits alone in front of the computer, and the guy's work includes physical activity and communication with a large number of people. Tired of a week, both want variety, and inattention to the situation leads to quarrels and accusations.

Because of this mistake, we think badly of people and prejudice strangers, lash out at innocent people, and quarrel with friends and family. A little reflection and attention to detail could have prevented a lot of conflicts. Why do we continue to judge other people so harshly?

What makes us harshly judge other people, but not ourselves

Scientists identify several mechanisms responsible for this error.

Features of perception

From the point of view of the observer, the personality is always brighter and more significant than its environment. The circumstances in which an incident occurs are often perceived as background and are not considered. When a person acts on his own, he does not see himself from the outside, but perceives his environment. Therefore, the participant in the events first of all evaluates what is happening around, and the observer - what the participant is doing.

The opinion that all people think the same

To correctly assess how much the behavior is determined by the personality, and how much - by the situation, it is necessary to know not only the circumstances, but also how the participant in the events perceives them.

It seems to us that everyone looks at the world in the same way as we do. In fact, people's reactions to the same event can be very different.

For example, if a person is silent in your company, you may think that they are withdrawn. In fact, he is very sociable, he just does not like you. But this is difficult to realize, because you perceive yourself differently.

Trying to control life

Our lives are corrected and directed by many circumstances, from parenting to random events. However, constantly remembering the unpredictability of the real world is a sure way to slip into depression. Therefore, we want to think that we are in complete control of our lives.

This mechanism has a side effect: we do not take into account situations in which the person is really innocent.

This makes people blame the victims of accidents and violence: "It's my own fault", "You should have been more careful", "You wanted it yourself." So people are psychologically protected from the terrible thought that at any moment this can happen to them, and it does not matter whether they foresee something or not.

Cultural features

In the West, the independence and individuality of each person is celebrated, in the East - the community of people, their interaction in a team. Therefore, the fundamental attribution error in Western countries is manifested more strongly: since a person controls his life, any events in it are not accidental. He gets what he deserves.

In the East, more attention is paid to society, so they can assess not only the personal qualities of a person, but also the situation in which he finds himself.

How to overcome the mistake

Overcoming the fundamental attribution error is a step towards loving people. On this path will help you:

Mindfulness. We draw conclusions about others automatically, based on our experience and expectations. A deliberate approach takes time and mental effort, so people are more likely to succumb to this distortion when they are too tired to reflect on someone else's circumstances. Before labeling a person, think about what might have caused them to do so.
Belief in chance. Yes, people are responsible for their lives, but they cannot foresee everything. A person may just be unlucky.
Sensitivity. Always admit the possibility that you don't know something. People can make mistakes because of traumatic events in the past or present, poor physical condition - hunger, stress, hormonal fluctuations, lack of sleep. A person often does not understand himself what is happening to him, what can we say about outsiders.

Of course, it's up to you to decide how to treat other people's behavior, especially if you've been harmed in some way. Just remember that in addition to the personality traits, there is also the influence of a situation in which you might have done the same.