I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag.
Today’s tip is to notice if someone annoys you, be kind. Imagine how they may be feeling.
I had the chance to chat with an acquaintance recently at a social event. They were dismayed at the state of the world (politics, finance, and more), as well as how annoying various things in their life had been. I found myself a little annoyed by all the negativity.
However, I’d been thinking about this tip, not specifically, but in general across the last few years. I’ve made an effort to try and understand and empathize with other points of view. My goal is not to argue the point, but put myself in someone’s shoes to better appreciate their reaction.
In this case, I could understand why certain things bothered this person, or why they were negative about things in life. It isn’t the reaction I usually have, nor to I ascribe the same level of importance that this person did. Of course, I wasn’t in the situation, so maybe I’d act similarly at times.
I let their complaints wash over me, and listened, letting them complain. I also thought a bit about how I’d hope I would react differently, find a way to change things or get beyond them rather than just complaining.