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Ishaan comments on Stupid Questions May 2015 - Less Wrong Discussion

10 Post author: Gondolinian 01 May 2015 05:28PM

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Comment author: [deleted] 05 May 2015 10:27:33AM *  0 points [-]

For example, I often think I am unusually cowardly or clumsy. Then I am totally surprised when I find after like 3 months of martial arts practice I am already better on both accounts than like 20-30% of the new starters, I was sure I will never ever get better at it, which roughly predicts average ability - but then why does it feel so unusually low?

I tend to think others are far more social than me. Then I start wondering, the fact that we are living in the same flat for 3 years now and never had a chat with a neighbor cannot be 100% my fault, it is 50% mine for not initiating such a conversation, but also 50% theirs as they too didn't. So it may actually be they are not that much more social than me.

Comment author: Ishaan 07 May 2015 09:04:39PM *  0 points [-]

That one is fundamental attribution error, I think. The real reason you didn't chat with neighbors is because you do not repeatedly bump into your neighbor in spontaneous circumstances on a regular basis - even very social people often don't chat with neighbors. It's more about circumstance than personality.