In my opinion, folk or “commonsense†psychology is a useful starting place when one is aiming to determine some truth about the human mind or brain, although its usefulness should not be overestimated, as scientific psychology ought to be given higher precedence. Though folk psychology can be helpful—who knows the human mind better than the minds of regular people?—it should be taken “with a grain of salt,†as evidenced by “regular people’s†penchant for misinterpreting their own minds. People often make mistakes or make seemingly contradictory claims when talking about the beliefs and feelings of others, or even of themselves.
