"Some people need a rewind button that we can push and raise them all over again."
Someone said that during a conversation the other day. We were talking about rude, self-centered and generally unappealing behavior. That sentence has come back to me several times over the last few weeks after being totally shocked by the conduct of people I thought I knew better. I assume people are good. And maybe I'm too quick to excuse rude behavior early on, believing that everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt. The problem is that I'm assuming that everyone is operating by the same moral compass that I have. And that's just not true. But I'm learning, and my skepticism level toward people has really gone up a few notches recently. I don't want to believe that someone would use me so callously to get something they want, but when the evidence is clearly pointing in that direction, what else can I do but accept that that's the case. It's disorienting to go from assuming the best about a person to assuming the worst. It sucks. I try my best to live by two simple rules: 1. Do no harm, and 2. Don't be an asshole. I'm appalled when someone I know and stood up for breaks both of those rules in front of people I respect and admire. After you've vouched for someone, it's hard to sound credible saying "I'm just as shocked as you are." At least now I know better.