Find at least one to three things about the other person that strike you as being interesting, admirable, inspiring, cool, special, etc. It must be something that you consider a positive aspect. Keep trying until you manage this. It becomes a fun thing to do, to challenge yourself to this task until it is achieved.
Catch your mean thoughts as they arise. You know the ones, the ones that put people into boxes. [2] X Research source Avoid judging the “book by its cover”. How do you truly know a person until you’ve taken the time to get to know them? Remind yourself that everyone consists of layers. Some layers show to some people, other layers to other people. Think about the situation you meet this person in, or the manner in which you have come to know this person. Might those external factors be influencing your opinion of them? Accept your differences. If every human being looked like and acted like every other human being, you wouldn’t be reading this. There’d be no point. Everyone would be of one bland mind, all shuffling along focused merely on surviving, not creating or sparking off one another and not trying valiantly to work out one’s place in the world. The differences between human beings enable people to thrive, to create and to innovate. Celebrate this fact rather than finding it something to be feared. [3] X Research source
Harsh words usually lead to more harsh words, and increased anger.
Understanding people’s flaws does not mean accepting their bad attitude or poor behavior. It means seeking to understand so that you don’t become embittered, feel blamed or take the burdens of that person onto yourself.
