We judge others more harshly than we judge ourselves
There are also psychological reasons why we sometimes have difficulty with empathy. If we make a mistake, we usually see the reason in the situation and not in ourselves as a person, says Sina Haghiri. “But when it comes to other people, we are not so lenient in our judgment. We relate behavior more to the person themselves than to their circumstances.”
Example: If I run a red light it’s because I have to take someone to the hospital. If I see someone running a red light, that person is simply “bad.” But we don’t know what his intentions really were, says Haghiri. It would take time and energy to figure this out. We will not accept this. “Unfortunately, it also happens that resentment and prejudice spread much more easily when we see something we consider wrong and conclude that the person is simply corrupt and evil.”
Tip 3: Ask about the other person’s possible intentions. Even if you don’t approve of the situation at first.