INSIGHTS
Ideas to move your mind
Psychological

The Idiot-Driver Reflex

Amanda Ripley introduces the Idiot-Driver Reflex: a mental reflex where we assume others’ wrong behavior shows their character defects, while our own bad actions are “just because of circumstance.” It’s easier to think “They’re reckless” than “I might be just as impulsive when under pressure.”

The full breakdown — the context, the shift, and a question to sit with — opens in the Insights app.
The thinker
Investigative Journalist and Author

Amanda Ripley is an investigative journalist and author who explores human behavior in high-stakes situations, particularly how people think and make decisions under pressure.

Based on We Can Do Hard Things – Episode 330: Handling Conflict Right with Amanda Ripley, summarised and reframed by Insights.

Read the full idea in Insights

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