It is easier to notice your mistakes in others because our own biases blind us to our own flaws. This is a classic insight from Kahneman about the inner workings of our mind, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
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Meaning
The core message is that we have a built-in psychological blind spot for our own errors, while the same mistakes are glaringly obvious to us when we see them in other people.
Explanation
Here’s the thing. Our brains are wired for efficiency, not accuracy. We have this fast, intuitive system—what Kahneman calls System 1—that’s always running in the background. It’s great for quick decisions, but it’s also riddled with biases and cognitive shortcuts. The problem is, we’re inside our own heads, so we can’t see these processes at work. We just get the final answer. It feels like truth.
But when we look at *others*? Oh, it’s a different story. We’re observing their actions from the outside, with our slow, analytical System 2. We see the flawed logic, the emotional reaction, the jump to a conclusion. We’re essentially critiquing their System 1 with our System 2. We have all the data and none of the internal justification. That’s the asymmetry. That’s why it’s so much easier.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Relationship (329) |
| Topics | bias (25), humility (61), judgment (32) |
| Literary Style | witty (99) |
| Emotion / Mood | humble (74) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This wisdom comes directly from Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman’s 2011 magnum opus, “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” It’s a cornerstone concept in the book, born from decades of his research with Amos Tversky in the field of behavioral economics. You won’t find an earlier, more precise origin.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Daniel Kahneman (54) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Thinking, Fast and Slow (54) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Dr Daniel Kahneman transformed how we think about thinking. Trained in Israel and at UC Berkeley, he built a career spanning Hebrew University, UBC, UC Berkeley, and Princeton. His partnership with Amos Tversky produced prospect theory and the heuristics-and-biases program, culminating in the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. He engaged broad audiences through bestselling books and practical frameworks for better decisions. He continued writing and advising late into life, leaving ideas that shape economics, policy, medicine, and management. If you want to dive deeper, start with the Dr Daniel Kahneman book list and explore his enduring insights.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | It is easier to notice your mistakes in others than in yourself |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 2011; ISBN: 9780374275631; Latest Edition: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013; Number of pages: 499. |
| Where is it? | Part II: Heuristics and Biases, Chapter 12: The Science of Availability, Approximate page 218 (2013 edition) |