Life is Lesson Book…Learning from the Characters in the Story

We tend to judge a book by its cover when we first pick it up and then we only read the back cover before making a decision about whether it is worth discovering more deeply. Some people may read the first few chapters and quit a book because itis "not interesting" but all the while, they never really give it a fair try because in the chaotic world around them, there were distractions that only allowed them to be partially focused on the story.  But, if given a fair shot, that book may just well be the one of the best books they have ever read.

Some people read two or more books at once.  One book may start out thrilling and the other a bit more slowly.  The thrilling book might grab attention and pull a reader into the story but as the story progresses, perhaps the reader learns that it is not all that they anticipated and in the end, it just was not as satisfying...they did not like the ending.  The other book starts out slowly, and the characters become well developed before the plot starts to take off.  Character development, making a personal connection with at least one character in a story, is what truly makes a book interesting. Sharing something in common and then experiencing the story along with the character is what really makes a book good and a worthwhile read...it is often not the action, but the personal connection.

But people aren't books.  You can't tell by looking at people you meet what their story is.  And you can't even tell after a brief encounter with them what they are really like.  And that is why it is important to remember to be kind to everyone you meet...you never know what they are dealing with.  Making snap judgments about people only serves to do two things... it hurts them and you.  When you make an uninformed decision about people you might be missing out on something remarkable...and you definitely send a message to them that they are not worth some discovery.

Books don't get hurt when we return them to the library or let them lay on our bedside table for months unread.  But people do get hurt when we don't give them a chance and when we pass judgment without all the details of their story.  Some stories are short, and some stories are long but however long it takes to make an informed decision about a person by allowing the "character" to be developed, we should give them and ourselves the benefit of that time.

I like books and I like people.  I like making connections.  I like how the internal and external dialog of a character I connect with makes me reflect on my own past, my viewpoints, and my interpretations about life.  And I like how my external dialog with people causes me to do the same thing.  By reading a book or "reading" a person by truly getting to know them and understand them, we can change and grow as a person.  But the difference between books and people is that you as the reader of a book don't change the book (although our personal reaction to a book may be different than someoneelse's).  But, you as the "reader" of another person can have the same effect on them as they have on you.  There can be reciprocity in the relationship and both you and the other person can change and grow.

That is one reason why it is important to give someone a chance...life is a big lesson book.  And we learn the most in life from the characters in the story.  We need to let the characters be developed before making a decision that the story is not worth the read.