Looking Back at FAE

Is FAE really that big of a deal in our lives? Does it really impact what friends we make along the way? Well, yeah. It's all about how people think about you and you about them. If you're always having negative thoughts about the people around you, that's a problem. "When we are trying to understand and explain what happens in social settings, we tend to view behavior as a particularly significant factor. We then tend to explain behavior in terms of internal disposition, such as personality traits, abilities, motives, etc. as opposed to external situational factors." Let's say your friend is absent on the day you're supposed to present a project. First thought that comes to mind? They weren't prepared and that they screwed you over. So when you get the chance, you call them up and yell before hearing what they had to say. Basically in your head, "you were absent because you weren't ready, not because you had a legitimate excuse." Turns out they were very sick and just could not make it in but didn't have a chance to call you. So of course they're hurt by the things you already said and the accusations you've made. This is a big problem for a lot of people. I've been through things like this myself. Repeatedly. But does that stop me from keep doing it? No. We all do it. We'll always do it. It's part of our nature. Some people aren't as vocal about it as others, but it's still there. "When we are playing the role of observer, which is largely when we look at others, we make this fundamental attribution error. When we are thinking about ourselves, however, we will tend to make situational attributions."