--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Research suggests that people are…" description: "\"Research suggests that people are typically unaware of the reasons why they are doing what they are doing, but when asked for a reason, they readily su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/daniel-gilbert-8969_people_research-suggests-that-people-are-typica_1318606.png" --- # Research suggests that people are typically unaware of the… ![“Research suggests that people are typically unaware of the reasons why they are doing what they are doing, but when asked for a reason, they readily supply one.” quote by Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/daniel-gilbert-8969_people_research-suggests-that-people-are-typica_1318606.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/daniel-gilbert-8969_people_research-suggests-that-people-are-typica_1318606.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/525/daniel-gilbert-8969_people_research-suggests-that-people-are-typica_1318606.png) > “Research suggests that people are typically unaware of the reasons why they are doing what they are doing, but when asked for a reason, they readily supply one.” [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often lack true insight into their motivations, yet they can fabricate plausible explanations when prompted. **In simple terms:** We make up reasons for our actions. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions about why you act. Themes psychology self-awareness motivation Mood curious reflective Type analytical insightful When to use this quote - decision making - personal reflection - therapy - marketing - leadership Key Concepts cognitive bias self-justification Questions to Reflect On - Why do you think you chose this option? - Can you identify a time you gave a reason that later felt inaccurate? A Different Perspective Our explanations may be post‑hoc rationalizations rather than genuine insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) ## Related quotes > [My career may look bizarre to some, but I have very strong reasons for doing every single job I've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-sturridge/my-career-may-look-bizarre-to-some-but-i-have-very-strong-reasons-for/) [Tom Sturridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-sturridge/) > [A man generally has two reasons for doing a thing. One that sounds good, and a real one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-morgan/a-man-generally-has-two-reasons-for-doing-a-thing-one-that-sounds/) [J. P. Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-morgan/) > [However, there's three reasons for doing things in this particular world. 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"There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-le-carre/there-are-always-a-dozen-reasons-for-doing-nothing-ann-liked-to-say/) [John le Carré](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-le-carre/) > [We want to be seen for who we really are, and each person has his own complex story and reasons for doing what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annette-bening/we-want-to-be-seen-for-who-we-really-are-and-each-person-has-his-own/) [Annette Bening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annette-bening/) > [“A person usually has two reasons for doing something, a good reason and the real reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/a-person-usually-has-two-reasons-for-doing-something-a-good-reason/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) ## More by Daniel Gilbert > [Because your brain uses information from the areas around the blind spot to make a reasonable guess about what the blind spot would see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/because-your-brain-uses-information-from-the-areas-around-the-blind/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [Your emotions are meant to fluctuate, just like your blood pressure is meant to fluctuate. It's a system that's supposed to move back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/your-emotions-are-meant-to-fluctuate-just-like-your-blood-pressure-is/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [No one likes to be criticized, of course, but if the things we successfully strive for do not make our future selves happy, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/no-one-likes-to-be-criticized-of-course-but-if-the-things-we/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [The mistakes we make when we try to imagine our personal futures are also lawful, regular, and systematic. 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The fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/the-human-brain-is-the-only-object-in-the-known-universe-that-can/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [“As the philosopher John Stuart Mill wrote, "It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/as-the-philosopher-john-stuart-mill-wrote-it-is-better-to-be-a-human/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) > [The secret of happiness is variety, but the secret of variety, like the secret of all spices, is knowing when to use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-gilbert/the-secret-of-happiness-is-variety-but-the-secret-of-variety-like-the/) [Daniel Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) [Explore all 76 Daniel Gilbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-gilbert/) ## More People quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [From Augustine down, theologians have tried to compel people to accept their special interpretation of the Scripture, and the tortures of the inquisition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matilda-joslyn-gage/from-augustine-down-theologians-have-tried-to-compel-people-to-accept/) [Matilda Joslyn Gage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matilda-joslyn-gage/) > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [I feel like I definitely have a real sporty style, more so than a lot of people in G.O.O.D. Music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/i-feel-like-i-definitely-have-a-real-sporty-style-more-so-than-a-lot/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [I feel like the future is unwritten. 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Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/) > [Some people give you that motivation to work harder simply to get the hell away from wherever they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/some-people-give-you-that-motivation-to-work-harder-simply-to-get-the/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. 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