January 17, 2007
Loading the Dishwasher or Doing Things Differently
After making dinner with some friends, we started to clean up the kitchen. Someone started cleaning the dishes in the sink and placing them in the dishwasher. My first response was, "Wow, this is awesome. They're doing my dishes for me." However, my second response wasn't quite as receptive: "Dang, they're putting everything in the wrong place!"
I started to exclaim, "That's the wrong way," but I stopped myself and considered my thoughts.
I was getting ready to tell someone that they were doing something wrong because it wasn't how I would have done it.
I wonder how often I let my preferences interfere with my perceptions and ability to compliment people for the job they did. Maybe my way isn't always the only way...