For the most part we treat everyone in our lives the same way every time that we meet them, completely ignoring the fact that everyone experiences seasons of the heart and changes of the mind. This means that when we interact with others, we are not really meeting them in true relationship at all. Then what is it that we are actually meeting if not the other person? The answer is that we are meeting only our own selfish wants, and it does not even occur to us to consider the needs of the other person.
You have the capacity to treat every single person you meet in exactly the right way as required by the present moment. In working on yourself and becoming aware of the tendency to think only about what you want, you can begin to meet people with a light spirit that encourages them to become what they are capable of being, because you are also aware of what they need. Wouldn't it be nice to meet people without painful preconceived ideas about how they should be treated? That's the possibility that exists for the human being who understands that his or her greatest gift is to know the need of another human being.
