I’ve been guilty of both sides of this problem on multiple occasions, and will likely continue to do so to a certain degree. I had written up my next blog post and it was more or less a rant piece on why people can’t see what’s glaring at them in the face sometimes. Even with someone pointing it out,m it’s like they have blinders on in that regard. It ended up getting more personal than I had intended, which made me realize, I was too close to the situation. I really took a few steps back any analyzed (over analyzed I’m sure), the situation and that’s when it dawned on me. Sometimes when people say they want your help, that’s not exactly what they mean. They mean they want your support, even if you see the dangers of their actions, they just want you there to listen, to tell them it will be ok, even if that may be a lie.
There is a big difference between respecting someone’s choice and agreeing with it. Sometimes we get so fixated on an end result, we ignore bothe the good things and bad things that happen along that journey. I still respect my friends choices, and I won’t point out any red flags anymore, I will acknowledge the good things that were a result of that person’s choices. Admittedly that puts me in a quiet position most of the time, but people will see what they want to see and are quick to place blame on those who point out someone else’s error. People need to choose for themselves what they will and won’t accept in regards to how they are treated.
This has been a hard lesson for me to learn. I grew up with a mindset that right is right and wrong is wrong. You don’t act a certain way, and you don’t allow yourself to be treated a certain way. People grow up differently though, and what isn’t acceptable to one person is completely acceptable to another. I’m not saying one person is right and the other wrong, I’m just saying their perspectives aren’t the same.
Sometimes being honest means not being kind, or telling people things they already know, but don’t want to hear. I’ve started implementing a very simplistic way of thinking. It’s a yes or no system. Does the person know what you are going to tell? Yes? No need to tell again, they don’t want to hear it. Will it harm the person to say it? Yes? Don’t say it. Do they want your opinion? No? Just give them your support and be there to listen, A lot of life’s big issues can actually be boiled down to a yes or no answer system. Do you know it’s harmful? Then don’t do it. Do you have faith that it can be done? If yes, put you’re all into it. Always remember though, if your all isn’t good enough for it, it’s not good enough for you.
Also, I want to bring up for the billionth time the word honesty. Just be honest, it saves time, heartache and so much more, I respect someone who hurts my feelings by being honest so much more than someone who lies to try to not hurt them.
Until next time, dear readers...
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