Give Benefit of the Doubt (think the best of others)

When someone does something that irritates or upsets us, we often assume that they are bad, or mean, or have bad motives. We think the worst about the person and their actions. In reality, most of the time people are trying to do what they think is the right thing, or they don’t realize what they are doing and how it affects others.

I find it helpful to assume the best…assume that the person had good intentions; it just didn’t turn out well for me. I also find it helpful to think about what experiences that person may have had that may contribute to them acting that way. Obviously this does not excuse bad behavior or mean that you should tolerate abuse. But in less extreme situations, it can help to give the benefit of the doubt to others.

Maybe that person didn’t have a happy family, so they don’t know how family members should treat each other. Maybe they were never shown love, so it’s hard for them to show love to others. Maybe they were given everything they wanted, so they don’t know how to save money. Whatever the action is, if you can figure out some reasons for it, it may make it easier to deal with. It won’t change their behavior, but it might help you change your reaction to it.