Benefit of the Doubt

Whenever I’m driving and another driver is being rude, or when someone says something to me that seems hurtful or sharp I have a little game that I play with myself.  I tell myself that driver must be on the way to the emergency room trying to save the life of a loved one, or that person didn’t realize how that sounded, or they must be having a stressful day.  Yes, I know that there are rude and hurtful people in the world but most people are kind and usually unaware of how their actions are affecting others.  When someone is rude to me and if I react negatively back, especially to another driver, they don’t know how I am feeling and I’m the one who gets upset and it can ruin the next couple of hours for me and I can even snap at another person and further spread the hostility around.  Even if they are rude on purpose, I can still choose to understand their behavior or situation, give them the benefit of the doubt.  Some people I have learned to have as little interaction as possible with.  I am not talking about being a door mat but I know there are many in this world who have heavy burdens, or are dealing with mental health issues or have limited skill sets. I have learned that when I give people the benefit of the doubt, even if they don’t deserve it, I am the one who benefits the most.  I can leave the situation with pleasant feelings and not worry about it.  I recognize that sometimes I’m the one having the bad day and sometimes say things in a tone I shouldn’t and I hope that someone else hears it with kindness and on those occasions gives me the benefit of the doubt.