Principle: A need for self change.

Principle- Self change for Acceptance.

As human beings we must change to make improvement possible. Some changes are smaller than others, but are changes nonetheless. Just as with other improvements, Acceptance Theory or accepting and understanding individuals in spite of differences, requires a change.

The idea here is that certain mindsets are open to acceptance and understanding; we all understand some things, and we all accept some things, but most of us have areas where we cannot or will not accept(or bother to understand) certain things, be they individuals or ideals. We must change our mindsets to allow consideration of concepts normally beyond our comfort zones.

Guidelines-
-Keep an open mind: Realize there are things one does not understand.
-Consider your prejudices(And generally, disregard them): Why do you have them? How much stock can truly be placed in them? Are they reasonable at all?
-Recognize the limitations of past experiences: Understand that those experiences may have some relevance, but also weigh the circumstances- do not assume the past is also the future.



By keeping an open mind, one is less likely to shut out automatically what they do not recognize or understand. By re-evaluating prejudices(and in the same vein, stereotypes) a person can learn just how well founded such things are, and discover many are baseless or too inaccurate to draw lasting conclusions. By realizing the past scenarios may be similar, yet not the same, one concedes that the future is not completely determined, that bad experiences do not necessarily cement evidence toward rejecting a person completely or immediately.