We’re quick to assume.
Quick to label.
Quick to judge.
Someone replies late. Must be ignoring you.
Friend cancels plans. Must be losing interest.
Colleague sounds off in a meeting. Must be rude.
But what if not?
Maybe that message was drafted and forgotten in exhaustion.
Maybe that friend is just trying to hold it together.
Maybe that colleague is carrying something heavy you can’t see.
Giving the benefit of the doubt doesn’t mean being naive. It means choosing empathy over ego.
It’s deciding to believe that people are more than their worst moment.
The world runs better when we slow down our conclusions.
Next time you’re tempted to react, pause.
Ask, “What else could be true?”
Because behind every delay, mistake, or misstep, there might just be a reason.
...and a person trying their best.