# A Lacking Factor explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

The narrator criticizes someone for acting unwisely based on the outcome, but the person responds that they made their choice without knowing the outcome in advance.

## Themes in this chapter

### Deception and Self-Deception

The dialogue touches on the deception of judging actions solely by their outcomes, ignoring the lack of foresight at the time of decision.

## Character check-ins

### Unknown

The narrator who criticizes the other's decision.

## Key lines

> You acted unwisely,” I cried, “as you see By the outcome.” He calmly eyed me: “When choosing the course of my action,” said he, “I had not the outcome to guide me.”

The speaker accuses the other of foolishness based on the result, but the other replies that he made his decision without knowing what the result would be.

_Highlights the theme of judging actions with hindsight bias._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/a-lacking-factor
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters