If you are defensive, there is likely a story or narrative that is preventing you from seeing or thinking clearly. When we get defensive, we tend to lash outward instead of questioning the beliefs that led to our emotional reaction.
Don’t try to justify your defensive behavior. Seek to find out what triggered your emotional reaction. Investigate the underpinnings of your beliefs—the stories that may need to be reconsidered or retested for accuracy. You don’t have to change your beliefs in order to be open-minded. You simply have to be willing to consider new information or a different point of view.
