Think of an offense like a foul in a game. Just like in sports, where you get penalized for breaking the rules, an offense is when you do something that is against the rules or hurts someone.
For example, if you are playing a game with friends and you cheat, that’s an offense because you are not following the rules and its unfair to others. Similarly, if you shout at someone and make them feel bad, that’s also an offense because it hurts their feelings.
But what a beautiful world it would be if we learned to pacify the offense that we may have caused to other human beings unintentionally. Let us look at some of the ways in which we can prevent ourselves from causing any future harm to others by being offensive:
- Not knowing everything is normal—you must have most of the time heard, “How can you just not know that this is offensive?”. Accept the fact that you cannot know everything about a person. Know that there is nothing that everyone knows. Just learn that it might be offensive and thus, next time use that knowledge to not cause offense to another person you meet.
- Show support and be non-judgmental. When someone expresses their hurt, then just be non-judgmental. Be empathetic and listen with full heart. Half of the problem is solved when a person is all ears. And, when you have fully understood what is causing harm to a person, just be a little vigilant to not repeat the same.
- Accept that being misunderstood in professional contexts is inevitable. So, just be careful with what and how you put things up in front of others.
- Never shy away from accepting the fact that you are wrong. It is a fact that you are wrong to have said something. Don’t let your ego play an unnecessary, bigger role in your life.
Thus, it is very important to have an open mind. And, also, being open to feedback and different perspectives. Know that there will be times when you will find yourselves in a situation where things will be a little offensive. It is normal. And, in those situations, just remember the steps that are stated above. These steps will ensure that you navigate easily through the situations.