Of course, you do have control over the company you keep.
If you want your friends to be liberal baseball fans like you who advocate for the environment, you can make a conscious effort to surround yourself with such folks.
And it's only natural to expect others to share common values like loyalty, decency, and respect. Otherwise, why bother keeping them around?
But even like-minded people -- from your partner to your closest friends -- won't approach every situation as you would.
For example, just because your hubby proposes a markedly different solution to a problem than you would, i.e., how to tackle your kid's poor math grades, should not be taken to mean your suggestion is wrong.
Similarly, just because your wife doesn't display affection in the ways you would -- or as often -- doesn't mean she doesn't love you.
Neither person should invalidate the other's views, beliefs, or reactions, however dissimilar they may be.
Conflict and disagreements are part and parcel of human relationships. That's why it's important both people are understanding and compassionate with one another, with an eye toward reaching compromise rather than proving the other wrong.
And the most successful ones are those where people can amicably agree to disagree, respecting the other's perspective even though they may not side with them.
Yet, it is possible that, over time, people may find themselves disagreeing more than they'd care to admit, ultimately straining the relationship a great deal.
In that situation, an honest talk may be in order, with both reassessing whether the rift has become too great to bear.
Don't set yourself up for disappointment and heartache by expecting someone to think and behave like you would in a given scenario.
You're better off not making any assumptions. That way, if things turn out favorably, you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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