I remind myself frequently, if not always intentionally, that I do not know the struggles others face. I am not privy to the personal challenges, the emotional tribulations, or the overwhelming depressions that might explain the behavior of other people. I know the private churning within me that I allow to bring out the worst in me; but I don’t see inside other people the way I see inside myself.
I realize my outward expression of internal angst can be unpleasant; not just for me, but for those who interact with me. And so, too, I suspect it is with the behavior of other people who, from time to time, I encounter. Behavior in others that seems irrational or unnecessarily confrontational can annoy me. But when I fight the inclination to condemn the person for the behavior, I get a glimpse at the person I would rather be than the person I usually am.
