The Einstellung Effect (2 Min Read) | Vol. 169

September 19, 2025

“To a man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail.” — Abraham Maslow

The Einstellung Effect

In the 1940s, psychologists Abraham and Edith Luchins conducted a series of water jar experiments that revealed a dangerous blind spot for high achievers. 

Participants were given three water jars: an eight-ounce jar filled with water, an empty five-ounce jar, and an empty three-ounce jar. The goal was to pour four ounces of water into two jars in the fewest steps possible. In this example, the solution was seven steps.*

After solving several puzzles that required the same complex formula, subjects locked into a “one size fits all” approach. They defaulted to a complex solution even when a much simpler solution was staring them in the face. 

The Einstellung Effect is a cognitive bias where our past experiences hinder our ability to find better solutions to new problems. Einstellung comes from German and means “setting.” Like a ceiling fan with a broken pull chain, our brains get stuck in one mode.  

In my coaching and training, by far the most common “stuck setting” is speed. Entrepreneurs and leaders tend to be action-oriented and fast.  They’ve made a career of beating the competition to the punch. Speed is their hammer, and every task looks like a nail. 

The problem is that speed can be absolutely problematic for some business tasks. Speed to lead? Awesome. Speed to hire, loan, partner, publish, invest, or judge? Not so much. 

Here’s the kicker: this effect doesn’t just hit beginners. Research shows that experts – from chess masters to doctors – can be even more susceptible because their deep experience creates stronger mental grooves. The very expertise that makes them valuable can also blind them to fresh approaches.

One question to ponder in your thinking time: What would I do differently if I couldn’t rely on my usual approach? 

Make an Impact!
Jay Papasan
Co-author of The ONE Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent 

* I’ll save you the Googling. Here is the common solution for an 8 ounce/5 ounce/3 ounce puzzle: [8,0,0] → [3,5,0] → [3,2,3] → [6,2,0] → [6,0,2] → [1,5,2] → [1,4,3] → [4,4,0].