One of the most common misconceptions is that people mistake cause and effect as interchangeable. A cause is often seen as an effect, or an effect is mistaken for a cause. The most well-known phenomenon demonstrating this is the halo effect — a situation where specific characteristics of an object influence how we judge other traits. For example, you might like that person’s character because you like one of their qualities, not because you like the person as a whole. This misunderstanding is a common causal error. If you like someone, you tend to think everything about them is good; if you don’t like someone, you might overlook or dislike everything about them. It’s not that you dislike the person for one reason and like them for another—it’s simply how the human heart works. Gaining someone’s favor, therefore, can be an arduous and painful process. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
In some cases, the outcome completes the intention to act. Although it wasn’t the original intention, it is a situation where the result of the action appears positively, and even the intention is glorified. Of course, the opposite can also occur. If the result of an action taken with good intentions is negative, those good intentions become a target for blame. It would be ideal if the intention and the result aligned, but that isn’t always the case. There are numerous instances where it is challenging to interpret this world full of deception and changes of heart with naivety alone. Yet, reality is shaped by the accumulation of results. If you achieve good results despite having bad intentions, it is considered luck. Skills cannot overcome luck. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”