Benefit of the Doubt!

​You have heard someone say it before but where does it come from and what does it truly mean.  The origin is unclear.  Some say it relates to the legal notion of "reasonable doubt", which in legal terms it means that a person is assumed to be innocent, until they can be proven otherwise.  This is a foundation of our current legal system.  Unfortunately, it is not a foundation of our everyday life.   Most of us will tend to assume the worst in others instead of assuming the best in them.  Being burned can harden a person and cause us to be jaded, reluctant and cautious.  We tend to take that to the extreme, which negatively impacts our relationship with those around us and our ability to help them to be their best, while also preventing us to be our best.  "When you expect the best from people, you will often see more in them than they see in themselves.”  Mark Miller