Here I sit, writing my final blog post a day late, trying to rationalize my sheer stupidity by making excuses for my forgetfulness. Of course, I have no trouble coming up with my justification: I'm the fiddler for The Lundstrom's Country Christmas Celebration, and this last weekend was opening weekend, which means I spent the entire time on stage. However, I can't help but notice an inconsistency in my reasoning. If someone else had forgotten about their blog post, I would have been quick to label him as lazy or irresponsible.
Funnily enough, my blunder is a perfect example of what I will remember most about psychology: The Fundamental Attribution Error. We're often quick to attribute others' failures to an underlying personality trait, but we rarely reflect the same harsh judgements on ourselves because we have a "good" reason for "why" we failed.
5 years is a long time. By then, I will be out of college and completely on my own, which is a reality completely altered from what I live now (a PSEO student living at home). But I'm positive I will remember the Fundamental Attribution Error not only because it's an incredibly fascinating phenomenon, but because it's fully-applicable to everyday life. Everyone makes justifications for themselves and judgements of others, yet simply in knowing that, it becomes a lot easier to look past one's own biases and see a situation in a whole new light. This changed perspective, this objective clarity, is what I truly hope to take away from Psychology 1001.
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