Here is an excerpt from an article written by Guy Kawasaki for LinkedIn, based on material he developed in much greater depth in his bestselling book, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions. To read the complete article, please click here.

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Accept Others

Let’s start with your attitude. If you don’t like people, people won’t like you. That’s simple enough. And to like people, you need to accept them. Then, if you accept them, they’ll accept you. This is what you need to understand about acceptance:

o People are not binary. People are not ones or zeros, smart or dumb, worthwhile or worthless. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, positives and negatives, competencies and deficiencies.

o Everyone is better than you at something. If you have a tough time accepting others, it’s probably because you think you’re superior to them. However, you’re not superior to every person in every way.

o People are more similar than they are different. At a basic level, almost everyone wants to raise a family, do something meaningful, and enjoy life. This is true across races, creeds, colors, and countries. You probably have lot in common with people you don’t like.

o People deserve a break. The stressed and unorganized person who doesn’t have the same priorities as you may be dealing with an autistic child, abusive spouse, fading parents, or cancer. Don’t judge people until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Give them a break instead.

o We all die equal. At the end of your life, you’re going to be a mass of tissue and bone that reduces to a pile of dust like everyone else, so get over yourself. Death is the great equalizer.

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Guy Kawasaki is the author of twelve books. He was the chief evangelist of Apple. He has a BA from Stanford University, an MBA from UCLA, and an honorary doctorate from Babson College. His latest book is APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur–How to Publish a Book. Kirkus, the toughest reviewer in the business, said this about APE, “Essential reading (and reference) for modern authors, regardless of experience.” Kawasaki was born and raised in Hawaii. He currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with Wife 1.0, four kids, one dog, two chickens, three lizards, and two turtles.

To read the complete article, please click here.

To read my interview of him, please click here.