When something goes wrong for us, we blame things around us…
– It was his fault not mine.
– I don’t have the right tools to do my job.
– I didn’t have the training I was promised.
But when something goes wrong for someone else we blame them as an individual:
– He can’t drive.
– She’s useless.
– She doesn’t know what she’s doing?
– How did they give him a job?
In other words…We like to believe that we do bad things because of the situations we are in, but somehow we assume that others do bad things because they are predisposed to being bad.
It is important to know this about ourselves as well as others as it helps us to respond differently to the circumstances life throws at us. It also enables us to become more empathetic and companionate towards others.
So something for all of you to ponder on today:
Think about how much of that situation is actually down to the environment and how much is your own characteristics and personality.