DO NOT TRY to put yourself in someone's else's shoes

The more I think about it
The more impossible I think it ever is
To try putting yourself in someone's shoes.

Do you know what that phrase entails?

Take an everyday scenario for illustration.
Pete is really angry with himself for not being able to perform well in his studies. At the same time, he gets real stressed up over the huge amounts of unfinished work that is piling up on his desk.

Pete comes to you and tell you about his problems.

Please Please Please just give him either
1)a pat on the shoulder, a hug, a peck on the cheek, a kiss OR
2)a listening ear

There really isn't any help to the situation if you reply, " Yes, I understand. I have been there before."

When in actual fact, you couldn't have possibly been there before. Simply because you are not Pete.

1)Pete may be a born pessimist(like me). Are you one? Even if you are one, can you guarantee that you are as pessimistic as Pete to the same extent on the same aspects?

2)Pete may have some other problems that are hanging on him. Family disputes, relationship problems, a sick relative...and all these factors tend to accumulate and wear down his heart at that point of time.

3)Pete may also be in the ill of health due to many nights of lack of sleep. And groggy-brained, which implies he's going to take a longer period of time to finish his work than you do.

And I can go on to the 100th factor if I wanted to make you go mad.

So, I beseech everyone, who reads this entry, never ever to measure someone's else's response to problems to your own standards.

It just doesn't work this way.