How does more information change your relationship to a situation?

You hold the door open for someone and they just push past you without saying thanks and you think to yourself “What a jerk! I am never holding the door open for someone again.” Once getting in line behind them you hear them on their phone talking to someone about their mother who was just diagnosed with terminal cancer and has only a couple of weeks to live. They were obviously upset. Does your opinion about the door incident change with more information? Do you have more compassion? Do you treat others in the future who may not be gracious with a little more compassion knowing you don’t know what is happening in their life?

What would happen to you and to the other person if you gave them the benefit of the doubt? I think it’s worth a try.