--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As part of this research, one group of…" description: "\"“As part of this research, one group of participants was asked which two countries are more similar to one another, East Germany and West Germany, or S..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/thomas-gilovich-10928_east-and-west_as-part-of-this-research-one-group-of-pa_35551.jpg" --- # As part of this research, one group of participants was… ![“As part of this research, one group of participants was asked which two countries are more similar to one another, East Germany and West Germany, or Sri Lanka and Nepal. Most of them said that East and West Germany are more similar. A second group of participants, however, was asked which two…” quote by Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/thomas-gilovich-10928_east-and-west_as-part-of-this-research-one-group-of-pa_35551.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/thomas-gilovich-10928_east-and-west_as-part-of-this-research-one-group-of-pa_35551.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/thomas-gilovich-10928_east-and-west_as-part-of-this-research-one-group-of-pa_35551.jpg) > ““As part of this research, one group of participants was asked which two countries are more similar to one another, East Germany and West Germany, or Sri Lanka and Nepal. Most of them said that East and West Germany are more similar. A second group of participants, however, was asked which two countries are more different from one another, East Germany and West Germany, or Sri Lanka and Nepal. The majority likewise said that East and West Germany are more dissimilar. This leads to the seemingly impossible conclusion that East and West Germany are both more similar and more dissimilar than Sri Lanka and Nepal. How can that be?”” [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People judge similarity and difference using different criteria; they may see East and West Germany as alike in culture but distinct in political history, leading to contradictory judgments. **In simple terms:** Similarity and difference depend on the aspect being considered. Key Takeaway Context shapes perceived similarity. Themes cognitive bias social perception comparative judgment Mood curious analytical Type observational psychological When to use this quote - Choosing a partner based on shared values vs. background - Evaluating product features for quality vs. price - Assessing political candidates on policy vs. charisma Key Concepts frame dependence dual-process thinking Practical Applications - Ask specific criteria before comparing - Separate cultural and institutional dimensions Questions to Reflect On - How does the criteria you use affect your judgment? - Can you think of other cases where similarity and difference coexist? A Different Perspective People may conflate overall similarity with specific domain similarity, causing apparent paradoxes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Countries Different](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-different-439967/) [Countries Similar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countries-similar-439965/) [East and west](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/east-and-west/) [Germany Dissimilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germany-dissimilar-439964/) [Germany Similar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/germany-similar-439966/) [Similar Dissimilar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/similar-dissimilar-439968/) [Sri lanka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sri-lanka/) ## Related quotes > [Brazil and Germany are very similar, but in Brazil we have a much longer career. There are much more books that have been published…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-ba/brazil-and-germany-are-very-similar-but-in-brazil-we-have-a-much/) [Gabriel Ba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-ba/) > [The difference between Germany and Italy? I think in Serie A there is more quality and the game is quicker, but in Germany it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marko-arnautovic/the-difference-between-germany-and-italy-i-think-in-serie-a-there-is/) [Marko Arnautovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marko-arnautovic/) > [“countries with similar growth rates of income per capita can end up with very different capital/income ratios simply because their demographic growth rates are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-piketty/countries-with-similar-growth-rates-of-income-per-capita-can-end-up/) [Thomas Piketty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-piketty/) > [“Of course, some things about our two countries are very similar and some things are very different. Some things we understand about each other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/of-course-some-things-about-our-two-countries-are-very-similar-and/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [We've always gone to other countries where there's been different standards and different practices you have to adhere to. WWE is like any other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-layfield/we-ve-always-gone-to-other-countries-where-there-s-been-different/) [John Layfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-layfield/) > [I get to meet people from all walks of life, from all different countries, from different backgrounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junaid-jamshed/i-get-to-meet-people-from-all-walks-of-life-from-all-different/) [Junaid Jamshed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junaid-jamshed/) > [As far as ideology or political beliefs are concerned, countries are very different.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/as-far-as-ideology-or-political-beliefs-are-concerned-countries-are/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Countries are different. They make different choices. We cannot harmonise everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cameron/countries-are-different-they-make-different-choices-we-cannot/) [David Cameron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cameron/) > [Animals in different countries have different expressions just as the people in different countries differ in expression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/animals-in-different-countries-have-different-expressions-just-as-the/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Poland is different from the other so-called socialist countries. We have a different background. Poland belongs to the West, not the East. We belong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krzysztof-penderecki/poland-is-different-from-the-other-so-called-socialist-countries-we/) [Krzysztof Penderecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krzysztof-penderecki/) > [The international community lies at the center of the Obama foreign policy. Unfortunately, it is a fiction. There is no such thing. Different countries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/the-international-community-lies-at-the-center-of-the-obama-foreign/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [ We \[US\] can't compete with low-wage countries in different parts of the world. We cannot compete with countries that play games with currencies or… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolf/we-us-can-t-compete-with-low-wage-countries-in-different-parts-of-the/) [Tom Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolf/) > [Remember always that there not so very much difference between various people as we seem to imagine. Maps and atlases show us countries in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/remember-always-that-there-not-so-very-much-difference-between/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [The political structure in different countries has different origins, different developments. Something which suits one country extremely well would perhaps fail completely in another.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-goring/the-political-structure-in-different-countries-has-different-origins/) [Hermann Goring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-goring/) > [World trade depends on differences among countries, not similarities. Different countries are in different stages of development. It is appropriate for them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/world-trade-depends-on-differences-among-countries-not-similarities/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## More by Thomas Gilovich > [“Chapter 7 takes a psychological truism, “we tend to believe what we think others believe” and turns it around: We tend to think others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/chapter-7-takes-a-psychological-truism-we-tend-to-believe-what-we/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“Finally, it has been shown that the tendency for people to think of themselves as above average is reduced—even for ambiguous traits—when people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/finally-it-has-been-shown-that-the-tendency-for-people-to-think-of/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“It appears that the probabilistic sciences of psychology and medicine teach their students to apply statistical and methodological rules to both scientific and everyday-life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/it-appears-that-the-probabilistic-sciences-of-psychology-and-medicine/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“To live, it seems, is to explain, to justify, and to find coherence among diverse outcomes, characteristics, and causes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/to-live-it-seems-is-to-explain-to-justify-and-to-find-coherence-among/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“social psychologist Ziva Kunda, who argues that people are indeed more likely to believe things they want to believe, but that their capacity to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/social-psychologist-ziva-kunda-who-argues-that-people-are-indeed-more/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [We humans seem to be extremely good at generating ideas, theories, and explanations that have the ring of plausibility. 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We should become accustomed to asking ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/we-therefore-should-be-more-skeptical-than-we-seem-to-be-about/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“In other words, when testing a hypothesis of similarity, people look for evidence of similarity rather than dissimilarity, and when testing a hypothesis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/in-other-words-when-testing-a-hypothesis-of-similarity-people-look/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [What we believe is heavily influenced by what we think others believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/what-we-believe-is-heavily-influenced-by-what-we-think-others-believe/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“develop the habit of employing one of several “consider the opposite” strategies. 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Despite a few initial efforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/unfortunately-psychology-has-not-adequately-come-to-grips-with-the/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“confirmatory events are in fact much more memorable than non-confirmatory events.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/confirmatory-events-are-in-fact-much-more-memorable-than-non/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“Perhaps the most general and most important mental habit to instill is an appreciation of the folly of trying to draw conclusions from incomplete…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/perhaps-the-most-general-and-most-important-mental-habit-to-instill/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [“As a consequence, very tall parents tend to have tall children, but not as tall (on average) as they are themselves;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/as-a-consequence-very-tall-parents-tend-to-have-tall-children-but-not/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) [Explore all 62 Thomas Gilovich quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) ## More East and west quotes > [In a compass, we got north, south, east and west, right? But in between that, you got things like north-east - now that, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bj-the-chicago-kid/in-a-compass-we-got-north-south-east-and-west-right-but-in-between/) [BJ the Chicago Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bj-the-chicago-kid/) > [“Rolanth Temple is a weather queen's temple, open to the east and west, the roof supported by beams and thick marble columns. Air moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendare-blake/rolanth-temple-is-a-weather-queen-s-temple-open-to-the-east-and-west/) [Kendare Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendare-blake/) > [The idea that there is a difference between East and West is nonsense. You both hand over your card with two hands. If someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-tang/the-idea-that-there-is-a-difference-between-east-and-west-is-nonsense/) [David Tang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-tang/) > [In the sky, there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds and then believe them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-sky-there-is-no-distinction-of-east-and-west-people-create/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All your names I and my friend approve of or nearly all as to sense & expression, but I am frightened by their length…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-faraday/all-your-names-i-and-my-friend-approve-of-or-nearly-all-as-to-sense/) [Michael Faraday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-faraday/) > [“I always found in myself a dread of west and love of east. Where I ever got such an idea I cannot say, unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/i-always-found-in-myself-a-dread-of-west-and-love-of-east-where-i/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [The most important principle of divine philosophy is the oneness of the world of humanity, the unity of mankind, the bond conjoining East and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/the-most-important-principle-of-divine-philosophy-is-the-oneness-of/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [“When my father was a young man, during the years of the First World War and long before there was any inkling of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien/when-my-father-was-a-young-man-during-the-years-of-the-first-world/) [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien/) > [“The Intelligence Services of East and West have given Europe over fifty years of peace - the longest the Continent has ever known. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-wolf/the-intelligence-services-of-east-and-west-have-given-europe-over/) [Markus Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-wolf/) > [If once again Germany destabilizes Europe, then Germany will be not be divided again, but wiped off the map. East and West have the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lech-walesa/if-once-again-germany-destabilizes-europe-then-germany-will-be-not-be/) [Lech Walesa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lech-walesa/) > [We must strive to encourage East and West not only to move towards each other but also to encourage them to find a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nursultan-nazarbayev/we-must-strive-to-encourage-east-and-west-not-only-to-move-towards/) [Nursultan Nazarbayev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nursultan-nazarbayev/) > [One of the dreams of Zionism was to be a bridge. Instead, we are creating exclusion between the East and the West instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-b-yehoshua/one-of-the-dreams-of-zionism-was-to-be-a-bridge-instead-we-are/) [A. B. Yehoshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-b-yehoshua/) > [Culture is mix. Culture means a mix of things from other sources. And my town, Istanbul, was this kind of mix. Istanbul, in fact,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/culture-is-mix-culture-means-a-mix-of-things-from-other-sources-and/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [I inhale great draught of space...the east and west are mine...and the north and south are mine...I am grandeur than I thought...I did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/i-inhale-great-draught-of-space-the-east-and-west-are-mine-and-the/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Unfortunately we just toured the East and West coasts so we didn't run into any rednecks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ville-valo/unfortunately-we-just-toured-the-east-and-west-coasts-so-we-didn-t/) [Ville Valo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ville-valo/) [Browse all 185 East and west quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/east-and-west/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“As part of this research, one group of participants was asked which two countries are more similar to one another, East Germany and West Germany, or Sri Lanka and Nepal. 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