Quote:
So I'm reading How to Win Friends And Influence People...and one of the chapters says that you should never criticize/condemn people - to see things from their perspective. So I'm wondering...does this amount to making excuses for when others fuck up? Especially when dealing with girls?
Good book, but I don't think that ignoring people's shortcomings altogether is what Dale Carnegie had in mind when he wrote it: I think what he's saying is to not jump to, or act on, preemptive conclusions. When someone fucks up, you should take an objective look at the situation... why did they fuck up? Look at it from their point of view, and look at their motivations. Did they fuck up on purpose to hurt you, or was it purely accidental? Figure out what's going on, and go from there.
As far as girls go, it's important to remember that they think differently than we, as guys, do. The way they do things, and their motivations for doing them, oftentimes don't make any sense at all if you're thinking with the typical guy's mindset. What you might project as fucking up on their part might actually be intentional, and vice versa.
So to answer your question, no, I don't think you should blindly make excuses for people. On the other hand, you shouldn't jump to conclusions right off the bat and start accusing them of things or "cutting them off." You should look at the whole situation, take their motivations and personality into consideration, and figure out why they did what they did. Then, use that information to help you do whatever is in your best interests.