A lot of social progress depends on how individuals respond to situations in everyday life.
Educating yourself or watching trainings on what to do in certain situations can help with understanding and knowledge. But when the times comes to use this knowledge, you might not do it.
Because it's difficult. Often times we have a lifetime of bad habits passed down from generations and enforced by communities that haven't caught up to speed on modern day morality.
How you responded might not align with your values and beliefs, but the action that would have aligned might feel awkward or unnatural.
Bad habits are not easy to break, and new habits are not easy to start. If you want to do the right thing when the times call for it, you need to practice beforehand.
It's often not possible to know the who, what, where, and when of situations. Trying to guess or think of every hypothetical scenario is an anxiety spiral you don't want. Rehearsing scenarios that are common or emotionally difficult can help you prepare for scenarios you weren't expecting.
Ideally, you want to rehearse actions and phrases out loud as if you are in the situation. If you're the type of person that has a hectic life and know this isn't realistically going to happen, simply thinking about what you would say or do can help a lot.
Understand that being educated and rehearsing might not be enough. If you don't like the way you responded in the moment, you can call yourself out.
"You know what, let's back track and do this instead."
"I did not think that through, let me gather my thoughts."
"You are right. That was not supposed to happen."
Be gentle with yourself. Changing the way you do things is not easy. Taking responsibility to practice is a great first step.
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