I’ve noticed that my tolerance has changed with age. Of course I can’t drink like I used to. But I am talking about my tolerance for all kinds of behaviors. I know becoming a father has impacted my tolerance. Having to care what customers think has also done it.
I know this has been a change for the positive when I see a child acting out, and my first instinct is no longer to be critical, but to empathize with the parent. If you have kids, then you know. No matter what you do, there will always be those moments of crying, screaming, pushing, or whatever, that embarrass you. But you also know that it will end, your little person will hopefully learn something from it, and it doesn’t mean that your kid is bad – they are just learning.
I’m trying to remember this in general. I need to continue to tolerate a wider spectrum of aberrant behavior. Sometimes I might learn something from the situation, and sometimes I might not. But even in those cases, maybe somebody just needed me (or the world) to cut them a little slack for a minute.
Personal Learning 