‘That Smell’ – Attribution Error in Daily Life

Our tendency to see others and our environment as the source of our difficulties (yet seeing ourselves as the source of our triumphs) is illustrated.

That Smell. OMG!

It had to be the dog.

The new salmon treats.

Awful dog farts.

But the smell lingered for days and the salmon treats were long gone.

Maybe she ate something dead?

The smell got worse and worse.

It had to be something in the fridge.

I emptied and scoured the insides.

Still no luck.

The smell was as strong as ever. Stronger. OMG!

So, I moved the fridge.

I cleaned underneath.

Maybe something died under the house.

I crawled through dirt.

No dead animals.

I left rodent bait.

I ordered a sonic pest controller.

I researched a new fridge.

Defeated, I slid the old fridge back

first wiping dust off the top,

I knocked something over the back.

Last year’s missing bratwurst.

The dog must have put it there.

                       

Jim Melamed

Jim Melamed co-founded Mediate.com in 1996 along with John Helie and served as CEO of Mediate.com through June 2020 (25 years).  Jim is currently General Counsel for Mediate.com and ODR.com. During Jim's 25-year tenure, Mediate.com received the American Bar Association's 2010 Institutional Problem Solver Award.  Before Mediate.com, Jim founded The… MORE >