Trent Ruble's Blog: The Other Way It Is - Posts Tagged "benefit-of-the-doubt"

It seems that giving others the benefit of the doubt is a lost art form. To allow for a reasonable explanation is now beyond the limits of our tolerance. I'm certainly guilty. But, instead of quick condemnation, if we could assume the best about others, at least until we found out otherwise, our world would instantly be a better place. I'm not talking about listening to the excuses of terrorists, protesters or others who beg us to hate them. But, in our daily lives, we should have for others the same expectations that we want for ourselves.

Think about the trials that you've encountered just today. Everyone deals with those or similar concerns. And, think about how emotionally involved we become with those issues. When we meet someone during our routine, we don't know what they've experienced in their recent past or even immediately prior to our encounter. I know I sometimes assume everyone's experiences are similar to mine, but they are not. Many times I jump to a conclusion that is completely inaccurate.

I'm not a psychologist and probably don't know anymore about human psychology than anyone else who's lived as long as I have. But, I just know a little empathy would go a long way in healing our broken world. While this may jeopardize the jobs of a great number of police officers, counselors and lawyers, let's try it anyway!

"There is no one righteous, not even one... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"- Romans 3:10, 23 NIV