A few weeks ago, I locked someone's keys in their car while retrieving my belongings from their trunk. Naturally, my first instinct was denial, but when I finally faced the fact that the keys were locked in the car and not lying on the ground, I turned to pushing the blame onto my friend, who was standing there and waiting for me. Although it was clearly not her fault, I immediately began to accuse her, asking her why she had not stopped me from doing such a silly thing.
My response to this situation demonstrated my tendency to blame others for mistakes that were recognizably my fault. I think this natural habit is caused by my fear of the consequences of my mistake. In this instance, the owner of the car was a very tall senior whose biceps were approximately the size of my head. When I realized the significance of what I had done, the fear of being despised by this intimidating figure took hold of me, prompting me to transfer the blame onto my friend.
For others, it may be guilt rather than fear that motivates them to try to transfer the blame onto someone else. Their disbelief of their foolish action may cause them to subconsciously convince themselves that it was not their fault in the first place. The human tendency to blame others can indicate that a person is less mentally stable or that they do not realize the extent of their misdeed causing them to continue their careless behavior. Despite the humanness of this characteristic, many people behaving this way can lead to a society which does not own up to its mistakes, therefore increasing the number of conflicts and maybe even crime.
In general, accusing others of doing things which you are to blame for is human and understandable but is clearly not a good behavior.
-Kristen Lobo
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