zlacker

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that many people perceive:

- themselves as perfect but making the odd honest mistake every now and then

- others as fundamentally flawed, persistent rule-breakers who Need To Be Punished

Even if they’re broadly the same or worse. This is true on the road, in college or writing code. A lot of people will be unable to look at their own tiny little infractions and see them as equivalent to the flagrant disregard for the rules that they observe in others.

>>smcl+(OP)
This sounds like Fundamental Attribution Error: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_attribution_erro...

>>smcl+(OP)
Close, but it’s more like “people perceive themselves and their ingroup as perfect but making occasional honest mistakes” and perceive their outgroup as flawed, persistent rule-breakers. And guess who the outgroup tends to be in racially homogeneous neighborhoods.

>>Analem+S5
It's not unlike HN when the topic of discussion is politics. Flip a variable or two and most humans behave similarly, thanks to evolution.

>>smcl+(OP)
The way I've always heard it:

We judge others by their actions. We judge ourselves by our intentions.

>>smcl+(OP)
I doubt this.

When people see others in the neighbourhood that fit a 'pattern they might associate with criminality' this has nothing to do with viewing 'others that need to be punished' rather just a fearful view of difference, and probably lack of exposure to people that creates some low-key bigotry. Throw in some neuroticism and too much free time, possibly some mental health issues and it's a problem.