You see someone acting differently and immediately create a story about them in your head. Maybe you think they are arrogant because they didn’t greet you. Maybe you think someone is lazy because they are not working as hard as you are. Maybe you see someone struggling and assume they made bad choices.
But you only saw a small part of their life.
You don’t know what happened before you met them. You don’t know what they are dealing with when nobody is watching. You don’t know how hard they are trying just to get through something that looks easy to you.
That doesn’t mean every action should be excused. People can make terrible choices and should sometimes be held responsible for them. But there is a difference between holding someone accountable and pretending you know everything about them.
A person can be quiet because they are shy. Someone can be distant because they are going through something. Someone who looks successful might be fighting battles you know nothing about.
Life is strange because the same person you judge today could be the person you understand tomorrow.
So before you decide what someone is like, remember that you are looking at one moment of their life, not the entire story.
You don’t have to understand everyone. You just don’t have to condemn people based on what you barely know.
Sometimes the most mature thing you can do is simply leave room for a story you haven’t heard yet.