Psychology research says that people are afraid of loss more than other things. I think this is why people automatically reject anything that doesn’t fit into their view of the world.
This was a hard insight for me to realize. I tend to be accepting of others and I give people a chance and expect positive intentions. However when people are hurt or have emotional issues, they reject others.
I realized this when I was watching a feral cat mother protecting her kittens in a hole in the ground. The rescuer was trying to help her, but she didn’t know that. All she saw was this human who she might have had bad experiences with wanting to be in her space she thought was private. Of course she is going to negatively react.
What the rescuer did and what most rescuers do is give the animal food and water to show they are not a threat. Once they do that, then eventually the animal begins to trust them and will allow them to take them from their surroundings.
So too must we be with others. we have to give people a reason to trust us. We have to help them fix their current need, and only then do we have credibility to help them with their future needs. Too often we rush things in life instead of building a foundation of trust and respect.
The world is a challenge to most people and most people are just trying to survive. Help them see you as a helper, instead of a threat.