--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is possible to induce incorrect…" description: "\"“It is possible to induce incorrect notions of cause and effect in most people in just a few minutes. All that is necessary is to expose them to reward..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/naomi-janowitz-193330_alchemy_it-is-possible-to-induce-incorrect-notio_850717.jpg" --- # It is possible to induce incorrect notions of cause and… ![“It is possible to induce incorrect notions of cause and effect in most people in just a few minutes. All that is necessary is to expose them to rewards which they believe they are generating based on their actions when in fact the rewards are randomly awarded. People will latch onto any seeming…” quote by Naomi janowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/naomi-janowitz-193330_alchemy_it-is-possible-to-induce-incorrect-notio_850717.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/naomi-janowitz-193330_alchemy_it-is-possible-to-induce-incorrect-notio_850717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f48/naomi-janowitz-193330_alchemy_it-is-possible-to-induce-incorrect-notio_850717.jpg) > ““It is possible to induce incorrect notions of cause and effect in most people in just a few minutes. All that is necessary is to expose them to rewards which they believe they are generating based on their actions when in fact the rewards are randomly awarded. People will latch onto any seeming success and repeat it, even when they have to explain repeated failures as well. It appears practically impossible, or at least very rare, for humans not to be influenced by immediate experiences of concrete results. This is true even if the experiences turn out to have limited theoretical validity. The moment of surprise is not when people repeat alchemical failures but when they begin to do something else.”” Naomi janowitz ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People readily form false cause‑effect beliefs when rewards appear linked to their actions, even if the link is random, leading them to repeat perceived successes and rationalize failures. **In simple terms:** People see patterns in random rewards and act on them. Key Takeaway Beware of attributing success to personal skill when chance is involved. Themes psychology bias behavior critical thinking Mood skeptical inquisitive Type observation analysis When to use this quote - marketing - gamification - education - personal finance - habit formation Key Concepts causation random reinforcement pattern recognition Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify whether a reward is truly earned? - What strategies prevent you from over‑attributing success? A Different Perspective Random rewards can mask true causes, making learning inaccurate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alchemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alchemy/) [Cause and effect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-and-effect/) [Magic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magic/) [Magical thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/magical-thinking/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Repeated failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeated-failure/) [Ritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ritual/) [Superstition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superstition/) ## Related quotes > [Most people are perpetually locked in the present. Their decisions are overly influenced by the most immediate event; they easily become emotional and ascribe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/most-people-are-perpetually-locked-in-the-present-their-decisions-are/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“Recall our own recent, immediate experiences. Since dreams are often initiated by something that happened only recently, we must ask about yesterday's residue.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/recall-our-own-recent-immediate-experiences-since-dreams-are-often/) [Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/) > [Don't expect anything in LIFE, expectations hurt a lot, when you don't expect, every moment is a surprise and every surprise brings a SMILE ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshunf/don-t-expect-anything-in-life-expectations-hurt-a-lot-when-you-don-t-2/) [Himanshunf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshunf/) > [If we live in the here and now, each moment is a surprise, every instant a new wonder. But it often fails to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piero-ferrucci/if-we-live-in-the-here-and-now-each-moment-is-a-surprise-every/) [Piero Ferrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piero-ferrucci/) > [Déjà vu is more than just that fleeting moment of surprise, instantly forgotten because we never bother with things that make no sense. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/d-j-vu-is-more-than-just-that-fleeting-moment-of-surprise-instantly/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Once a film is shot, the thing that mostly happens is that I go see all the things I would have fixed in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/once-a-film-is-shot-the-thing-that-mostly-happens-is-that-i-go-see/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) > [“Though it's with you at every moment, it's always something of a surprise to discover that you can be at once alive and alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-pyper/though-it-s-with-you-at-every-moment-it-s-always-something-of-a/) [Andrew Pyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-pyper/) > [“The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-w-tozer/the-man-who-has-struggled-to-purify-himself-and-has-had-nothing-but/) [A.W. Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-w-tozer/) > [“Success,” Honda said, “can be achieved only through repeated failure and introspection. In fact, success represents one percent of your work, which results only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-rothfeder/success-honda-said-can-be-achieved-only-through-repeated-failure-and/) [Jeffrey Rothfeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-rothfeder/) > [“The 10 ever greatest misplacements in life: 1. Leadership without character. 2. Followership without servant-being. 3. Brotherhood without integrity. 4. Affluence without wisdom. 5.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/the-10-ever-greatest-misplacements-in-life-1-leadership-without/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Man, as man, has never realized himself. The greater part of him, his potential being, has always been submerged. What is history if not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/man-as-man-has-never-realized-himself-the-greater-part-of-him-his/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Government grows despite repeated failures to serve the public well because government's purpose no longer is to serve the public. Government now serves primarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kelly/government-grows-despite-repeated-failures-to-serve-the-public-well/) [Jack Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kelly/) > [The process of achievement comes through repeated failures and the constant struggle to climb to a higher level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/the-process-of-achievement-comes-through-repeated-failures-and-the/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [When Marconi suggested the possibility of wireless transmission of sound (the radio),he was committed to a mental institution. But people like Lincoln, Edison, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-marconi-suggested-the-possibility-of-wireless-transmission-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Many people dream of success. To me, success can only be achieved through repeated failure and introspection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soichiro-honda/many-people-dream-of-success-to-me-success-can-only-be-achieved/) [Soichiro Honda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soichiro-honda/) ## More Alchemy quotes > [“I went because I was interested in the alchemy of issues.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/i-went-because-i-was-interested-in-the-alchemy-of-issues/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“...the world is only the visible aspect of God. And that what alchemy does is to bring spiritual perfection into contact with the material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-is-only-the-visible-aspect-of-god-and-that-what-alchemy/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“Art is Alchemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elle-nicolai/art-is-alchemy/) [ELLE NICOLAI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elle-nicolai/) > [“You must learn to bend to open windows, my friend. That is why artists and dancers are closest to God. They clench their chests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/you-must-learn-to-bend-to-open-windows-my-friend-that-is-why-artists/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Every human being has gone through a tragedy of sorts. And the idea is that you have two paths you can take, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-michaels/every-human-being-has-gone-through-a-tragedy-of-sorts-and-the-idea-is/) [Jillian Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-michaels/) > [“Introspection does not need to be a still life. It can be an active alchemy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/introspection-does-not-need-to-be-a-still-life-it-can-be-an-active/) [Anaïs Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [ Everybody can close their eyes, picture a dream house or a perfect place \[where\] they'd like to have a picnic. But actually creating it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/everybody-can-close-their-eyes-picture-a-dream-house-or-a-perfect/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [“She pushed the book towards them, and Harry and Ron read: The ancient study of alchemy is concerned with making the Philosopher's Stone, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/she-pushed-the-book-towards-them-and-harry-and-ron-read-the-ancient/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) > [For I am every dead thing In whom love wrought new alchemy For his art did express A quintessence even from nothingness, From dull…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-donne/for-i-am-every-dead-thing-in-whom-love-wrought-new-alchemy-for-his/) [John Donne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-donne/) > [Arya Maloney updates the basis and practice of transpersonal psychology by using the spiritual principles of India's masters and the transformational alchemy inherent in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-mindell/arya-maloney-updates-the-basis-and-practice-of-transpersonal/) [Arnold Mindell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-mindell/) > [“To follow our bliss and dive deeply into the mysteries of fragrance, color, and taste; blend with the magnificent diversity of mother nature; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prana-gogia/to-follow-our-bliss-and-dive-deeply-into-the-mysteries-of-fragrance/) [Prana Gogia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prana-gogia/) > [ I want to explain the new alchemy \[in the "From Earth, Air, Fire, and Water to a New Vision of Mind and Time"\], which… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/i-want-to-explain-the-new-alchemy-in-the-from-earth-air-fire-and/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) > [We swung over the hills and over the town and back again, and I saw how a man can be master of a craft,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/we-swung-over-the-hills-and-over-the-town-and-back-again-and-i-saw/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [We find that alchemy has to do with magicians or magic and may even have roots in the Chaldean people who lived in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/we-find-that-alchemy-has-to-do-with-magicians-or-magic-and-may-even/) [Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/) [Browse all 349 Alchemy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alchemy/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It is possible to induce incorrect notions of cause and effect in most people in just a few minutes. 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