It’s easy to misunderstand someone’s intentions or to judge them for their actions without knowing the reasoning behind it. They might have circumstances leading them to think their course of action is the only viable option, and so in their mind, they are doing the right thing. However, it might not seem like it for you.
When you don’t understand someone’s reasoning, don’t jump to conclusions. Perhaps it’s more productive to walk a mile in their shoes.
That “Superficial” Need for Change
You’ve seen your friends and family members go for a remodel and various other renovations around the house, but you fail to see the benefit of spending all that money. Unless you live in their house, however, you will not be aware of every problem they may be having with their basement that prompts the remodel. Even if there’s no problem, the family’s needs might have changed, which is why the basement needs to serve a different purpose. Consider for your home in Kansas city if your adult child suddenly needed to move back home. All your rooms are occupied, but a basement remodel will give them a room to themselves until they figure out what to do moving forward.
That Discontent with Their Job
You’ve noticed the turnover rate in your company and you’re worried about how it will affect fulfillment. But you also associate the turnover rate to the discontent that is associated with millennials in the workforce. You think it’s a problem with their expectations rather than the company needing some changes in its system. A conversation with colleagues outside your friend group or in a different department may reveal to you some of the problems they have to deal with on a daily basis. A person can only take so much and if they are not happy with the way they are treated, it does not necessarily equate to them being picky or lazy. Someone in the HR department should consider if the work environment needs to be improved to address issues that have caused people to leave.
The Short-term Relationships
You are secure with your family and home, so it must be strange for you to see your friends go through relationships so quickly. They can’t seem to settle down, and you think it’s a problem with them having high standards. However, it would be short-sighted of you to want them to settle down just because you’ve considered this to be the right path. What works for you might not work for them. Think of what you will feel if you were stuck with the wrong person but society keeps pressuring you to get married. You’ll have an unhappy life, even if you’ve gotten married just like everyone wanted you to. In the same vein, your choice to have a child might not be the best choice for other people. If you try to see things from their perspective, you’ll see that despite the different paths, your goals are the same: you want to be happy.
Each person forges a different path for themselves, but this doesn’t mean one is in the wrong. Learn to understand other people’s choices through experience.
