“Hurts” Affect Attitude

“For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, ‘Eat and drink!’ But his heart is not with you. Proverbs 23:7

A dog named Spot had been frequently beaten by its master. One day Spot was wandering down the street when a boy picked up a stick to play fetch with him. When the dog saw him pick up the stick, it took of running with its tail between its legs. See Spot run.

Although the boy just wanted to play, the dog had been conditioned to associate the stick with pain. The beatings as a puppy programed Spot to assume that all people were out to hurt him.

After we’ve received a few “beatings” from others, we’ll start to assume they have an agenda to hurt us, so we react by running away. Sore spots makes us run. Although others may not intend to harm, we misjudge their motives because we view them through wounded glasses.