IF SOMEONE TALKS TO YOU ABOUT A PROBLEM, EVEN A SMALL PROBLEM, DON'T BE AN IDIOT!

 

I am certain that almost everyone has been in the situation where a friend, family member, partner, or acquaintance tells you about a problem he or she is facing. The most ignorant thing anyone can do is to tell them that in the same situation they had no problem. An example might help me explain what I am trying to say.

A young man was telling about how angry he was that his friend had just died of viral pneumonia because he was not admitted to the hospital the day before. Although he had had serious symptoms, he had tested negative for COVID-19. His young friend died within a few hours after his temperature reached 41.5 C. An old lady in the group immediately responded that she had had no difficulty being taken into emergency just a few days before.

The young man obviously was troubled about his loss and was looking for someone to listen to him. Instead, this old fool cast doubt on his experience by bragging that she had no problems. Well, her response was irrelevant and certainly showed a complete lack of empathy with the young man and his grief. What value did her comment have other than taking attention away from the young man and bringing it to her?

 

Even if someone is telling you about a smaller problem (for example, trouble with a small appliance, store customer service, work colleague, etc), just listen first. Let him or her relieve some stress by sharing the burden of their problem with someone else. After he or she is finished unloading, if you have a suggestion about how to solve the problem, then you might introduce your solution. In any case, let him or her know that you are hearing them and empathize with what they are going through. 

NEVER BRAG THAT YOU HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS YOURSELF IN THE SAME SITUATION. THE WORLD IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU.