This is something I do even though I’m conscious of it. Your reasons for doing things the way you do them are internal to you. It takes no effort to get them. In fact, you did things the way you did because of those reasons.
When it comes to other people, their reasons for doing things are mysterious. You have incomplete information. That information could be difficult or impossible to get since people may not reveal their true reasons for acting the way they do.
That makes it easy to be reductive about other people’s reasons for doing things while seeing the fullness of your own reasoning for behaving in ways others might find strange with an incomplete picture.
Examples
- I turned left when I didn’t quite have time to make it because I had been waiting to turn for 5 minutes. Another person must have done it because they were impatient and had no respect for the oncoming car’s time nor safety.
- I avoided paying taxes because I oppose the spending the government is prioritizing right now. Another person must have done it because they are greedy.
- I didn’t work out last night because I had a bad headache and needed time to recover. Another person must have done it because they are lazy.