No, the meaning “put yourself in my shoes” does not mean to take my literal shoes off my feet and put them on your feet. However this meaning can often get forgotten when emotions are brewing. Why do we not understand how others feel in certain situations? Maybe because we spend more time judging from the outside instead of attempting to understand what is going on inside.
Friendships
In friendships it is normal to feel not heard or understood. The next time you and your friends get into a disagreement or fight, take a step back. Think about how you would feel if they treated you that way. It is also helpful to think back to what your friends have told you about their current mental state or if they have anything going on in their personal lives that might affect them. Personal issues as well as having a fight with your friends on top of that can be very stressful on a person, next time this happens with your friends think about how they feel about you doing or saying something first.
Relationships
In relationships communication is key and it is also inevitable you will have at least one problem with communication while in a romantic relationship. Vocalizing to your partner what makes you comfortable and uncomfortable is key before entering the next steps in your relationship. Speaking with your partner about things like this will bring you both closer and allow you both to understand how you would both feel when put into certain situations.
Family
Within your family, this is another area in your life where you are going to have problems with emotions especially with your parents or siblings. When you are young your parents or siblings may not always care about how you feel. As you get older it is important to explain your feelings in certain areas of your life. Explaining to your family any additional outside factors that could be affecting how you feel on top of how they are treating you allows you to be closer to one another.
Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes can be hard as you can never one hundred percent understand how someone might be feeling. At least making the effort to understand how someone might feel about a topic is crucial for a healthy relationship with whomever. Next time you stumble upon some trouble in your personal life, remember to put yourself in their shoes first.