How do I become less judgemental and more open-minded to ideas that are different from mine?

I have some past trauma related to friendships that has made it hard for me to trust people. Since I am someone that holds myself to a strict moral standard, I often hold other people to my same standards, because I feel that if I am moral, anyone that is different from me must be immoral, and therefore not trustworthy. I know this is a flawed perspective but I don't know how to overcome it and accept that everyone has different reasons for doing things. I don't know how to understand that some people may simply have different morals that stem from different reasons, or some people might not place as much emphasis on their moral code as strictly as I do, and that doesn't necessarily make them a bad person. It has affected my ability to make and trust friends, and also strained my relationship because my partner finds me overbearing.
Asked by Poppy
Answered
11/27/2022

Hi, thanks for reaching out!  

It is important to hold yourself to a high moral standard, and to be confident in maintaining the standards you set for yourself, so I am hopeful that you can find a way to not feel conflicted about it.  I think that living your life in the manner you chose according to your moral compass is a positive thing.  I think it will be helpful to focus on keeping an open mind about those around you, that they may be living to what they have established as their standard of morality as well.  But at the same time, it is important that you don't compromise your standards in order to please someone else or to try to find ways to help yourself gain a sense of trust.  I also would encourage you to explore what it is that is preventing you from trusting others; if it is questions about the decisions they make or the way they treat others, then it is a fair thing to pay close attention to how much you do trust someone or allow them into your life.  If it is stemming from past situations with others and you are finding yourself guarded as a result of that, it may take further exploration. 

In your current relationship, I think it is important to communicate with your partner where you are coming from as you address your issues with trust.  If you speak with "I feel" statements to express how you are feeling and why, it may help your partner have a better understanding of where the intention is coming from and make it seem less "overbearing" to them.   

If you find yourself struggling with moving through what happened in your past friendships and with the aftermath of the trauma from them, it may be beneficial for you to talk to a therapist to help navigate through those past things and develop some coping skills and strategies to help in your relationships moving forward. 

Best wishes to you, and please feel free to reach out in the future if you need anything further.

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LICSW, LISW