The other morning I was traveling to work on a packed subway car when a pregnant woman got on the train. Without an open seat, she was forced to stand awkwardly. Another woman, overcome with empathic rage, opened up on a young man seated just in front of the mother-to-be, belittling him for not giving up his seat to an obviously pregnant woman in need of a respite.
The young man, a little shocked to be pointed out in the crowded train and now the center of attention, rose from his seat to acquiesce to the the older woman, who was continuing her tirade on how youth have no manners and no respect for the pregnant or elderly. Of course, when I say he rose from his seat, I mean he limped up from his seat. This young man was obviously in a great deal of pain; something was terribly wrong with one of his legs.
The pregnant woman, embarrassed for causing such a fuss, sheepishly sat down upon the young man's insistence. The old woman was continuing her rant, oblivious to the man who now shifted his weight onto the one leg, holding a support bar to keep steady. Another passenger, seeing his plight, kindly offered up her seat to the young man. All the while, the older woman - obviously not senile but just as obviously lacking observation skills - prattled on.
It is much easier to get angry than it is to forgive others. Most people agree that it is in everyone's best interest to treat others with kindness and respect, but executing those ideals is more difficult, even for this writer.
Certainly one might nod their head agreeably and shout, "Yeah, why can't people just be more nice?" I would be willing to bet, however, that every person perusing these words who is of driving age has gotten upset at other drivers or, in the worst of cases, exacted retribution. As minor as turning on your washing fluid to let a tailgater know to back-off or as extreme as slashing someone's tires, you do not know why that driver was actually driving the way they were. Did a family member just pass away? Were they fired? Did they find out they have an STD?
Maybe a coworker treats you poorly, or you get snubbed by a waiter at a restaurant. Maybe a stranger shoves their way by you on the street, or you were recently victim of a theft. All of these people may - or may not - have reasons for doing what they have done. A family member is sick, they might be going through domestic trouble, or come down on hard times financially. The point is, even though these people may just be jerks, it is probably in your best interest to give them the benefit of the doubt in the long run. Forgiveness is safer for you and your family, and less stressful. You will also live longer, guaranteed.
Look, a lot of things are going to happen to you in life. People are going to steal from you, they're going to treat you like crap. You'll be threatened and probably sued for something at one point or another. The only thing you can control is your own response. You can get upset and angry or sad, or you can deal with it and move on with more important things.Father of Bozanimal