Effortless theorizing

Let’s say that while waiting for a friend to pick us up, we spot a man across the street walking quickly. We might start to wonder: "Maybe he is late for a meeting…" "Maybe he forgot something at home." This wondering builds to the second stage of the theory as he approaches us. We notice that he looks upset. We think: "I bet he got in a fight before he left for work." When we look at our watch and notice that it is 7:30AM, and then we spot some crayon marks on his briefcase, we wrap up the theory: "he probably had a struggle with his kid about going to school." Problem solved, attention goes elsewhere. We do not realize how effortlessly and quickly we create our theories, and on what a house of cards they are built. Since we cannot confirm or deny them, we believe them, and they become our facts about people.