From The Field Guide to Understanding 'Human Error' states for reactions that can judge our ability to assess a failure objectively: > “To understand failure, you first have to understand your own reactions to failure. Reactions to failure are typically: > - **Retrospective**. They arise from your ability to look back on a sequence of events. > - **Counterfactual**. They lay out what people could or should have done to avoid the outcome that you now know about. > - **Judgmental**. They judge people for not doing what you believe they should have done, or for not paying enough attention to what you now know is important. > - **Proximal**. They focus on those people closest in time and place to (preventing) the mishap.