Whether it’s vaccines, the system, salesmen, gas prices, climate change, websites, mobile hotspots, noble lies, taxes, or hidden fees — “That’s how they get you!”
The trouble is when you think this way, you’ve made yourself a victim of the nameless and faceless “they.” You’ve manifested the very thing against which you are guarding.
They haven’t got you. You’ve got you.
You might think that this outlook is the smart one; protecting you and keeping you safe, or at least keeping you from exploitation.
What if, however, you thought differently? What if instead of looking for exploitation, you look for mutual benefits? What if you lead with empathy? What if you assume the other person is not trying to extract something from you?
What if the thing you are worried about really is better for you and others?
It doesn’t have to be either-or. It can be both-and.
You always have a choice about the way you think.
