Researchers had strangers talk, then asked each how much they liked the other and how much they thought they were liked. Again and again, people underestimated how much their partner liked them and enjoyed the conversation. This “liking gap” persisted even between college roommates for months. Your inner critic is far harsher than other people are.
Remembering is not replaying a recording — it is rebuilding. Each time you recall a memory, it becomes temporarily malleable and can be altered before being stored again. That is why two people can sincerely remember the same event… differently.
In 2003, Johnson and Goldstein compared European countries. Where you must tick a box to become a donor, consent rates ranged from 4% to 28%. Where you're a donor by default unless you opt out, they topped 85%. People aren't more generous on one side; most simply stick with whatever option was chosen for them.