Rohan is the author of one of my favorite blogs from the past year - [a learning a day](http://alearningaday.blog).

He recently posted a short note on [People, sameness, and our projections](https://alearningaday.blog/2026/05/27/people-sameness-projections/):

> We project a lot onto success — wisdom, contentment, confidence.
>
> But it is worth reminding ourselves that those are exactly that -> our projections.

It reminded me of a phenomenon I learnt a little while ago: [The Halo Effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_effect).

> The tendency for positive impressions of a person, company, country, brand, or product in one area to positively influence one's opinion or feelings of a person, company, country, brand, or product in another area.

The human mind remains a peculiar puzzle though. Knowing it, seeing it, observing it, I still find myself susceptible to it.