Putting on their Shoes

When we look back on history and see the blunders other have made, it can be easy to think that if we had been in their shoes, we would have acted totally different. But while we may think that, what are the odds that we actually would have done so if we had been in their place?

Sure, if we knew what we know now, and were able to go back, we may act differently. But if we had grown up in that time period and in that cultural environment, the odds of us doing what they did are much higher.

It’s one thing to judge others while having the benefit of historical distance and hindsight—it’s another to make decisions in the midst of the historical situation we each grow up in.

Therefore, when we look at the decisions others have made, or are making, it would be a good idea to at least try to put ourselves in their shoes. Because it’s quite possible that if we were in their shoes, and had experienced what they had experienced, we may have done that same things. This by no means excuses or condone what others may have done, but it can help us to be gracious in our assessment of those who have gone before us.