Unit 4 · Lesson 3 · Worksheet WS9
The Pause Practice — Four Steps
Charitable interpretation is the deliberate practice of pausing before reading someone’s behavior, and choosing the kinder explanation when several are possible.
The four steps
1 · NOTICE
Notice the first interpretation forming. Often it’s the worst-case one.
2 · PAUSE
Pause before acting on it. Take a breath. Hold the assumption lightly.
3 · ASK
Ask: what other explanations might fit what I actually saw?
4 · CHOOSE
Choose the most charitable interpretation consistent with what you know.
Think of a situation this week where you assumed something negative.
The three maybes: maybe they didn’t see. Maybe they had a bad morning. Maybe it isn’t about me.
“Charitable interpretation is ___. It is not naive because ___.”
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