I realized that assigning blame and malicious intent is a habit, and, like with all habits, requires conscious effort to break. It takes practice to figure out how to interpret people’s actions, particularly if they have an ambiguous communication style. But when you begin to assume good intentions by default, you feel more empowered and self-confident. You have control over how you choose to respond to any given situation. You can embrace the possibility that no one is intentionally trying to hurt you.