If you cannot understand why someone did something, look at the consequences — and infer the motivation.

if you cannot understand why someone did something, look at the consequences — and infer the motivation.

If you can't understand why someone is doing something, look at the consequences of their actions, whatever they might be, and then infer the motivations from their consequences.

For example if someone is making everyone around them miserable and you'd like to know why, their motive may simply be to make everyone around them miserable including themselves.

Is it really so difficult to tell a good action from a bad one? I think one usually knows right away or a moment afterward, in a horrid flash of regret.

Make sure the person whom you think wronged you is the person who wronged you.

If you have seen a man misbehave once, do not from thence conclude him a fool; if you find he has been in a mistake in one particular, do not at once conclude him void of understanding : by that way of judging, you can entertain a favourable opinion of no man upon earth, nor even of yourself.

Suppose you are wrong? How would you know? How would you test for that possibility?

Remember everything is right until it's wrong. You'll know when it's wrong.

If they do not know what they want, how can they be so certain they are right?

Sometimes we have to do a thing in order to find out the reason for it. Sometimes our actions are questions, not answers.

Because he KNEW he was doing wrong. He felt the PAIN of his actions' — 'But he did not amen them,' shows the Sky.
'The rest are worth as much as their pack animals,' I show, 'but worst is the one who knows better and does NOTHING.

The next suitable person you’re in light conversation with, you stop suddenly in the middle of the conversation and look at the person closely and say, “What’s wrong?” You say it in a concerned way. He’ll say, “What do you mean?” You say, “Something’s wrong. I can tell. What is it?” And he’ll look stunned and say, “How did you know?” He doesn’t realize something’s always wrong, with everybody. Often more than one thing. He doesn’t know everybody’s always going around all the time with something wrong and believing they’re exerting great willpower and control to keep other people, for whom they think nothing’s ever wrong, from seeing it. This is the way of people. Suddenly ask what’s wrong and whether they open up and spill their guts or deny it and pretend you’re off, they’ll think you’re perceptive and understanding. They’ll either be grateful, or they’ll be frightened and avoid you from then on. Both reactions have their uses, as we’ll get to. You can play it either way. This works over 90 percent of the time.

When faced with people's bad behavior, turn around and ask when you have acted like that.

Learn to ask of all actions, 'Why are they doing that?'
Starting with your own.