It is easier to recognize other people’s mistakes than our own. And honestly, that’s the whole game right there. It’s a simple truth that explains so much of the friction in our work and lives.
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Meaning
The core message is brutally simple: we have a built-in, psychological blind spot when it comes to our own errors. We’re wired to be critics of others and apologists for ourselves.
Explanation
Look, here’s the thing. This isn’t about morality. It’s about cognitive machinery. Your brain has two systems. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and runs on autopilot—it’s where most of our snap judgments and, crucially, our own justifications live. System 2 is slow, analytical, and takes effort. When we look at *others*, we use our analytical System 2. We see their process, their missteps. But when we look at our *own* work? We’re stuck in our own subjective experience with System 1. We see our intentions, our effort. The messy middle gets glossed over. It’s not a character flaw; it’s a design feature of the human mind. A frustrating one, but a feature nonetheless.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Relationship (329) |
| Topics | bias (25), judgment (32), self awareness (56) |
| Literary Style | witty (99) |
| Emotion / Mood | humble (74) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This gem comes straight from Daniel Kahneman’s 2011 masterpiece, “Thinking, Fast and Slow.” It’s not some ancient proverb often misattributed to Confucius or the like. This is modern, evidence-based psychology from a Nobel Prize winner, solidifying a concept he spent decades researching.
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 recognize other people’s mistakes than our own |
| 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) |