If we observe a colleague coming in late to work on two different occasions, our perception about him will be “he is lazy or indiscipline” rarely it strikes to us that he might be in some problem owing to which he is late. In similar fashion we come across diverse instances where we are quick to form an opinion about others and carry it, which not only manifests in our interpersonal relationship but professional as well. Ever wondered the genesis of our ability to judge others so vehemently on a click of a finger? As a human we are innately cognitive miser and motivated tactician. We are wired to use simple, easy and effortless ways to solve the problem instead of sophisticated and time-consuming ways.Which has made us and the society at large as a disapproving and critical opinionated people. Is there a different view to look at it? Yes a more complimentary in nature and to understand it we need to delve deeper.

We are designed to infer cause or reason to our and others, action and behaviour. In psychology we use the term Attribution to define this action of ours wherein it is the process by which individuals explain the causes of behavior and events. Fritz Heider in 1920 researched on Attribution and suggested that people observe others, analyze their behavior, and infer with their own explanations for such actions. He defined it in two major types External Attribution and Internal Attribution.

External Attribution (Situational Attribution) – External Attribution refers to interpreting someone’s behavior as being caused by the situation that the individual is in. For instance When we notice a colleague late at work we infer that he might have had flat tyre or might be some problem at home.

Internal Attribution (Dispositional Attribution) – Internal Attribution refers to the process of assigning the cause of behavior to some internal characteristic likability and motivation, rather than to outside forces. For instance When we notice a colleague late at work we infer that he is lazy or indiscipline. 

It is a common observation that individuals tend to assign external attribution personally and internal attribution to others as the case may be. This cognitive biases heavily distorts our perception of others/ourself and affects the environment as these attributions influences our feelings as well as how we think and relate to other people.For instance, when we are late then it is because of the bad road, heavy traffic or even flat tyre vis a vis other person is lazy, can’t be trusted, indiscipline and so on. Ironical it sounds but it a common practice and that is the fundamental reason of us being critical. We should strive to weigh the situations of others, the way we do ours and be cognizant of the biases that we operate with.

Attributions can be further categorized into three categories-

Explanatory Attribution – Explanatory Attributions are used to infer the reason of the daily happenings around us. It can be optimistic or pessimistic explanatory style. People with an optimistic style attribute positive events to stable and internal causes and negative events to unstable and external causes. 

Predictive Attribution – It is when we attribute things in a way that has futuristic implications. For instance, if we ate from a new joint and had stomach upset then we would conclude to avoid eating from that joint in future because of the experience.

Interpersonal Attribution – Whenever we narrate an incident or talk about any topics to friends and family we tend to be overly biased to ourselves and more often than not positions ourself in the best possible light. Similarly we are programmed to talk about those incidents which sends positive signals about oneself to others. For instance, I could not do this work as I was occupied in helping the needy in my locality.

Hence it is imperative that while we are attributing we should have unbiased approach. No matter how tempting it is to jump to conclusion, it is sane to think through and then derive at conclusions.We should try to be as compassionate as we are to ourselves, while inferring the reason for behaviour or for any event. Remember There’s a story behind every person.There’s a reason why they are, the way they are.Think about that before you judge anyone.

Finally, “Judging a person does not define who they are; It define who you are “