How many times have you given somebody the benefit of the doubt with the expectation that they probably didn’t realize that the impact of what they were doing was going to have on you or others?
When you gave that assessment enough time to either bear fruit or prove itself to be inaccurate, how many times did the latter appear to be so?
People are far more calculating and self determinative we might give them credit for.
They are continuously acting in accordance with the variables that serve them best, regardless of how impactful those choices might be on others.
When we are polite enough (or ignorant enough) to allow them the excuse of not knowing what they were doing, we are only further enabling them to act this way with us, and in their relationship with others.
At some point, it becomes truly incumbent upon us to see their actions for exactly what they are and to call out their behavior in such a way as to protect ourselves or others from any situation that have been brought about, as a direct result of others behaving in such a manner.
So the next time you are ready to write something off as a presumption that the other parties probably did not fully consider the ramifications of their choices, it would be much wiser to recognize that we are much more capable of being aware of the circumstances in our lives that impact others and recognize that perhaps you are excusing a behavior that does not warrant such an excuse.
Happy Tuesday!
Brian Weiner 