Being understanding of others is a basic value in human relationships. It is thanks to understanding that conflicts are resolved and people are accepted, helping them in the most difficult moments of their lives. Being understanding of others should be a priority for all human beings, as this behavior will guarantee cordial and peaceful relations between citizens.
Promoting the development of understanding becomes a fundamental objective if we wish to offer constructive upbringing and education to our children. Therefore, in this PsychologyFor article we reveal to you how to be understanding of others with the descriptions of ten recommendations to work on to develop this capacity with yourself or with those around you.
A fundamental aspect when it comes to promoting the development of understanding towards others is the fact of putting ourselves to the background and prioritize looking at others. Without this necessary perspective, there is no possibility of understanding others.
Our current societies are fueled by egocentrism, narcissism and self-focus. The gaze towards others is reduced to a lascivious gaze that attempts to copy in order to, once again, prioritize the gaze over one’s own personal improvement and the gaze of others over oneself.
Therefore, developing a perspective on others constitutes a lost value in our current societies and is of great need for recover more respectful and cordial coexistences.
Develop empathy
Beginning to look at others and doing so in a deep and true way will allow us to develop empathy, as essential capacity to be understanding of others. If you want to know this important value in detail, consult our post What is empathy in psychology, so you will better understand why it is good to be understanding.
In addition, you can also take our Empathic Knowledge Test to know from what point you start to work on this virtue that will make you a better person.
Not judge
Judging others prevents us from trying understand the reasons for their behaviors. In this way, it is impossible to be understanding with any person, since we are not able to understand the reasons that have led them to act in this way. Avoiding judgment is a huge step in developing the ability to understand.
Don’t question the other person
Not doubting the other person’s word means accept it and not judge it, understanding that his conduct has been justified by the previous conditions that occurred. When we question the other person’s words or arguments, we place ourselves in a non-comprehensive attitude that distances us from them, making it difficult to understand their situation. And this is the opposite of what the value of understanding is.
Eliminate prejudices and preconceived ideas
We are all full of previous beliefs, preconceived ideas and prejudices that are automatically activated, composing a good part of our thoughts and new deductions. These preconceived mental schemes distort reality current providing nuances that do not correspond to the present situation.
Adopting the attitude of eliminating all types of prejudices will help us have a clearer and purer view of others, without frames or fissures. Therefore, we help you be more understanding with our post How to eliminate prejudices and stereotypes.
Reproduce the other person’s experience in oneself
In the event that it is difficult for us to understand the situation experienced by the person and, therefore, be understanding with it, it can help us to reproduce in ourselves (as far as possible) the experience lived by the person in question. This will help us “put on your shoes “, understand their situation and, with this, adopt an understanding attitude towards it.
Develop patience
Develop patience with oneself and with others It is essential when developing understanding of others since, on many occasions, it will be difficult for us to initially be understanding of what happened.
Being understanding and patient with ourselves and with others, stopping possible defensive or hostile attitudes, will help establish this great virtue. To do this, we recommend reading our article How to be more patient.
Work on active listening
Being understanding is a virtue and, to develop it, it is essential to listen actively, which means listen more than talk pay serious attention to the content presented and try to empathize with the people who communicate the message to us.
Active listening is one of the factors that favors empathy and, therefore, an understanding attitude towards others. For more details, see our article Active listening: characteristics, exercises and examples.
Develop a kind look
Being understanding means “see with good eyes “to our neighbors. Our mind is contaminated by our own emotional shortcomings and by the direction adopted in our life path. In this way, fears, mistrust, prejudices, etc. feed daily our gaze towards ourselves, towards others and towards life.
Developing a kind look will be the only way to be understanding with the rest. To do this, it will be necessary to carry out arduous but fruitful work of introspection, based on which we can get rid of all the inner garbage so that, once purified, we can look kindly at our neighbors and show understanding towards them.
Accept unconditionally
The ability to be understanding contains, in itself, the unconditional acceptance of others. Only the absence of judgments and prejudices the development of empathy, prioritizing the needs of the other over those of oneself, being patient, being interested in the other and showing a kind look on them, supposes the unconditional acceptance of the other and, only in this way, will it be possible to gives us the capacity to understand others.
If you found these tips to be understanding useful, you will find our post How to be a good person every day equally interesting.
This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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