<p>I learnt the terminology &quot;What you spot is what you've got&quot;. For example:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://katehanley.com/you-spot-it-you-got-it-acknowledging-your-undesirable-traits/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">You Spot It, You Got It- Recognizing Your Undesirable Traits</a></li>
<li><a href="https://marthabeck.com/2012/01/projection-when-what-you-spot-is-what-youve-got/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Projection: What You Spot Is What You've Got</a></li>
</ul>
<p>This means anytime you notice something in someone else that drives you crazy, it is highlighting some trait you share that you don't like.</p>
<p>My question: is this claim backed by science? For example, if I often spot unfairness and injustice, does this mean that I am someone who is also not very fair in treating others?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-22T13:22:45.107Z
The first two links don't say "what you see is what you got". They use similar what you "spot" is what you've "got" terminology though. I updated this for you. Since the third link was irrelevant to your question I removed it. And, one source already hints at relevant terminology: **projection**. From what I read, this term is used in literature.
Steven Jeuris
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-22T13:37:59.270Z
I believe in elementary school the terminology we used was "he that smelt it dealt it", which was probably true in general but also likely misapplied: the person reporting an odor was probably *not* the person who produced it. I would be wary about pop science claims of *certainty*, especially. If the research data say "Here is scientific evidence that projection exists", where the data are that people with some trait have a statistically significant increase in tendency to detect that trait in others, it's not appropriate to take that as "*any time* someone detects a trait they have it".
Bryan Krause
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-07-23T04:04:05.423Z
@BryanKrause Very useful comments. So I think it is good to know for what types of personal traits, projection is statistically significant in the sense that people with that trait is more likely to detect it, and for what types of trait, projection is not statistically significant.
dodo
<social-psychology><belief>
'You spot it, you got it': is this backed by science?
dodo
# 'You spot it, you got it': is this backed by science?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-07-21)

I learnt the terminology "What you spot is what you've got". For example:

* [You Spot It, You Got It- Recognizing Your Undesirable Traits](https://katehanley.com/you-spot-it-you-got-it-acknowledging-your-undesirable-traits/)
* [Projection: What You Spot Is What You've Got](https://marthabeck.com/2012/01/projection-when-what-you-spot-is-what-youve-got/)

This means anytime you notice something in someone else that drives you crazy, it is highlighting some trait you share that you don't like.

My question: is this claim backed by science? For example, if I often spot unfairness and injustice, does this mean that I am someone who is also not very fair in treating others?

**Tags:** social-psychology, belief

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The first two links don't say "what you see is what you got". They use similar what you "spot" is what you've "got" terminology though. I updated this for you. Since the third link was irrelevant to your question I removed it. And, one source already hints at relevant terminology: **projection**. From what I read, this term is used in literature.  
> **username_2**: I believe in elementary school the terminology we used was "he that smelt it dealt it", which was probably true in general but also likely misapplied: the person reporting an odor was probably *not* the person who produced it. I would be wary about pop science claims of *certainty*, especially. If the research data say "Here is scientific evidence that projection exists", where the data are that people with some trait have a statistically significant increase in tendency to detect that trait in others, it's not appropriate to take that as "*any time* someone detects a trait they have it".  
> **username_0**: @BryanKrause Very useful comments. So I think it is good to know for what types of personal traits, projection is statistically significant in the sense that people with that trait is more likely to detect it, and for what types of trait, projection is not statistically significant.  

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## 0 answers

