All About the Benefit of the Doubt

What will you think if someone borrowed something from you, gave you a date when to return it, and then days had passed and you were still waiting for it?

Sometimes, we imagine a negative scenario. Perhaps, you’ll think it’s broken and he doesn’t want to tell you because he doesn’t want to feel embarrassed. Or he may have lent it to someone else and hasn’t yet returned it. And we can also conclude that it was lost already.

On the other hand, we also think of positive scenarios. You will believe he doesn’t have time to return it because he’s busy with errands in school. Or you can assume he’s still enjoying it, which is nice to think about. This is when we give people the benefit of the doubt.

According to Merriam-Webster, the benefit of the doubt is the state of accepting something or someone as honest or deserving of trust even though there are doubts. 

A benefit of the doubt is an extension of trust

Trusting someone is definitely not the same thing as giving them benefit of the doubt. But they are connected. 

Because of an existing trust, we give people the benefit of the doubt. You show them that you believe in them and you believe in what they say and do.

We also tend to give it to those who are not particularly close to us to gain their trust and establish a relationship.

Why is it hard to give the benefit of the doubt?

A lot of people generally have good intentions, but if you find it difficult to believe in someone, you’re not alone. Giving the benefit of the doubt is not always easy, especially if you have been hurt in the past.

All of us have unpleasant memories that outweigh our happy ones. These past events are when our trust was broken, betrayed, and we were hurt. 

That causes us to be more protective of ourselves because we don’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Moreover, in an era of disinformation, assuming the best for anything may be too risky.

Benefits of giving people the benefits of the doubt

Although it’s normal to expect the worst, giving people the benefit of the doubt can result in some amazing life outcomes.

We will better understand what it means to be human, and that we are prone to making poor decisions and messing up. We will then be more willing to forgive.

Giving people the benefit of the doubt will also make it easier for us to appreciate other people’s perspectives and get to understand people better.