A few weeks ago, a friend of mine sought my advice when working with an assigned partner for a project: “My partner is unbelievable. We scheduled to meet to work on our project but she canceled at the last minute! She is so inconsiderate and undependable.” My first instinct was to agree with my friend even though I didn’t know who her partner was — after all, only a careless person would do something like that, right? Minutes later, my friend’s partner apologized to her profusely and explained that her pet had suddenly fallen sick, prompting an unexpected visit to the veterinarian. I immediately felt guilty for automatically attributing her action to her personality rather than considering other factors in the situation.
It is often said that a person’s actions can reveal a lot about their personality, and this statement certainly has merit. Continually forgetting to complete responsibilities may be indicative of a person who is a bit careless or forgetful. However, if we try to apply this logic to justify an action, the results can be extremely flawed and damaging. When we attribute a person’s behavior exclusively to immutable characteristics such as laziness or recklessness, we’re neglecting important situational factors that may impact what a person does. As an example, when a classmate shows up late to class, we’re more likely to jump to the conclusion that they are irresponsible rather than consider other possibilities. This tendency is commonly known as the fundamental attribution error, and it can be instrumental in determining our relationships and perspectives.
Rationalizing a person’s behavior by attributing it to their personality can lead to the formation of prejudices that are hard to break. If our first impression of a person is that they possess negative personality traits, we’re less likely to effectively communicate and engage with them, leading to frustration on both ends. Additionally, it makes us unable to appreciate the person’s positive traits and causes us to be overly critical of minor mishaps. In extreme cases, we may even cut contacts with the person and miss out on the opportunity to form a fulfilling friendship.
Falling prey to the fundamental attribution error is easy, but making small adjustments to the way we interpret actions can go a long way towards avoiding it. Rather than immediately assuming the reason behind an action or attributing behavior to specific personality traits, take a step back to inquire about situational aspects. Remind yourself that we are all human and are prone to bad days and emergencies; a dose of empathy and an understanding of circumstances can be helpful in forming lasting relationships.
