Black and White... Or Not

I think that one realization that leads to growing up is that absolutely nothing, no situation or person, is just black and white. There are a billion shades of grey.

When it comes to people, I don't have to explain that every single person is unique, and there are an infinity number of things that goes into each person that makes them .. them, and different. And that is exactly what makes every situation you encounter light grey, grey, dark grey, etc. When we have an interaction with a person that isn't exactly pleasant, we often find it easy to have bad thoughts about them, like calling them a bitch. But you never know what that person is going through at the moment, or even the things that have happened to them in their past that has made them who they are today.

When its somebody we don't know, it's not so important to try to dig in the reasoning behind it, but keeping this in mind might decrease our level of hostility.

However, when it is someone you know, like a family member or friend, I find it very important to try to see the reasoning behind their actions before jumping to the conclusion that they're just being a bitch. When there is a conflict, try to stay calm (although, even I'll admit it can be very hard sometimes) and talk to them. If you do stay calm, most times people can't stay hostile too long and will be more willing to talk about the real reasons behind the problem. And it's very likely that in those situations, there is an explanation behind actions that you wouldn't have figured, and is completely reasonable.

But this doesn't just go with when you have a disagreement with another person. It can also be applied to almost anything else, like for example, when someone does something illegal. For example, the story of the guy who steals. Of course, stealing is against the law, so should be punished right? But what if's he's stealing food because he has no money to buy food for his starving children?

I guess my point is just to remember that. Nothing is one way or the other. I'm not saying that the reasons you may find are right or justifiable, and some times finding those reasons only confuse you more instead of giving you answers. But either way, there is ALWAYS something else under the surface that you are not aware of.