p. 96; as cited in Malle (2011, 75)
“
If a pitcher who wishes to retire a batter (motivation) throws a burning fastball (action) directly into the wind (environmental influence), then the observer should conclude that the pitcher has a particularly strong arm (ability). If a batter tries to hit that ball (motivation) but fails (action), then the observer should conclude that the batter lacked coordination (ability) or was blinded by the sun (environmental influence).
— Daniel T. Gilbert
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If a pitcher who wishes to retire a batter (motivation) throws a burning fastball (action) directly into the wind (environmental influence), then the observer should conclude that the pitcher has a particularly strong arm (ability). If a batter tries to hit that ball (motivation) but fails (action), then the observer should conclude that the batter lacked coordination (ability) or was blinded by the sun (environmental influence)." in the context of "p. 96; as cited in Malle (2011, 75)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Daniel T. Gilbert" (Quotes, "Ordinary personology." 1998: Daniel T. Gilbert, "Ordinary personology." The handbook of social psychology 2 (1998): 89-150)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Daniel T. Gilbert
Daniel Todd Gilbert (born November 5, 1957) is an American social psychologist, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, and writer. He is known for his research (with Timothy Wilson of the University of Virginia) on affective forecasting.
About Daniel T. Gilbert
Daniel Todd Gilbert (born November 5, 1957) is an American social psychologist, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, and writer. He is known for his research (with Timothy Wilson of the University of Virginia) on affective forecasting.
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