The Other Side of the Story: Giving People the Benefit of the Doubt Stories and Strategies Book

From the book jacket: "He's inconsiderate. She's discourteous. They're negligent. You are absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it certain that your friend/spouse/boss/neighbor/fellow-Jew has done something he shouldn't have. And you're wrong. ... The plumber was a thief, the teacher was incompetent, the babysitter irresponsible. The judgment was clear. Until we heard The Other Side of the Story."

Our Rabbi has given quite a few talks on looking at people with "a good eye". That is what this book is about; to slow down, think about the possibilities for another person's actions or perceived actions, to consider all the information and not jump to conclusions. We are told a lot of true stories that show us how situations can be misread and misunderstood, and how looking at people with a good eye can avoid damaging relationships and can repair rifts between people.

I particularly liked this partial quotation taken from the walls of Kevar Rachel,

"Through Your mercy, may I always merit to judge others favorably; may you bestow upon me the intelligence to understand how to search for and find redeeming factors, strengths and virtues in my fellow man at all times."