Columns

15 Reasons Why People Make Excuses for (and Enable) Their Loved Ones

It’s all the time good to know that you’ve somebody in your nook that can defend you it doesn’t matter what you’ve completed. It’s the very cause the saying “blood is thicker than water” stays so in style. Family sticks collectively it doesn’t matter what! But do you additionally make excuses, enabling poor conduct?

However, whereas it’s good to guard somebody often, it may create a dependency sample if it turns into a behavior. Your actions can allow somebody while you continuously make excuses for their unhealthy conduct. How many occasions have you ever defended your youngster to the principal or one other guardian, however you continue to floor them once they get house?

The secret is to placed on a great entrance in order that the remainder of the world doesn’t see your loved ones as damaged or imperfect. However, you continue to have to care for the difficulty behind closed doorways. If you let your youngster get away with being disrespectful to lecturers and different authoritative figures, it’s going to return again to chew you later.

When Defending Poor Behavior Becomes Enabling

It’s okay to defend your loved ones and associates, however typically it may be prolonging the inevitable. For occasion, assume you’re employed in a manufacturing facility along with your sister. Your sister is consistently messing up and is about to lose her job.

You attempt to be protecting of her, so you are taking the wrap for her final blunder. When individuals ask what’s occurring along with her, you make one excuse after one other. What nobody is aware of is that she has a drug downside you’re making an attempt to cover.

While you wish to assist your sister hold her job, are you helping her by masking up a extreme dependency subject, or are you enabling the situation to proceed? Losing her job is unhealthy, but it surely’s method higher than shedding her life.

While many of us really feel justified of their choices to cover up behaviors, it’s not serving to. Instead, it solely makes the state of affairs worse.

Here’s a Pop Culture Point of Reference

Here’s a preferred program that demonstrates this dangerous enabling completely.

My 600 Pound Life is a top-rated tv present that’s on TLC. Dr. Nowzarden is a brilliant bariatric surgeon that works with St. Joseph Medical Center-Houston. He treats patients between 600-800 pounds who are considered severely morbidly obese.

One of the fascinating parts about extreme obesity is the enabling aspects that often occur. There is almost always someone who is buying the food and enabling the people who seek help from Dr. Nowzarden. While they’re not verbally making excuses, they do it with their actions.

In many instances, these people are in serious condition and will die if they don’t get help. Sadly, family members and friends sneak them high-calorie foods. They justify their actions by thinking they’re hungry. They will be mad or not sustain themselves on the 1,200 a day diet.

There are times when you can and should stand up for those you love. On the other hand,  you might need to step back and let the consequences teach them life lessons. How can someone grow and become better if people make their toxic behaviors acceptable?

Fifteen Reasons Why People Make Excuses for Their Friends and Loved Ones

If you’re constantly in defense mode for your family, you need to examine the rationale behind these motives. Ask yourself if you’re helping or hindering them? Here are the fifteen most common reasons why people make excuses for their loved ones.

1. They Fear Punishment

No one wants someone they love to get into trouble. Many people will take the rap or make up an excuse to cover up a mistake. However, some will go as far as lying to help cover their tracks.

While protecting is one thing, it’s never okay to lie for another person. The truth of the matter will always come out, and then you will look just as guilty as they do.

2. They Live in Denial

Part of the reason you may not have wanted to tell on your sister in the example above is that you live in denial. Many people want to escape reality because it’s easier to believe a lie than face the truth. Some people believe in the “Out of sight out of mind” philosophy.

If you don’t see her do harmful substances, then maybe it’s not true. Sadly, in your heart, you know she is in trouble. Your focus should be more on getting her help than covering up for her.

3. They Feel Sorry for Them

Perhaps one of your family members lies constantly. You may feel sorry for them and the problems they have in life. They lie because they feel like they haven’t accomplished anything, and they have low self-esteem.

Many people will find themselves making excuses because they feel sorry for the person in this predicament.

4. They Don’t Want to Cross Them

If your marriage is on the rocks and you suspect your spouse of cheating, you may not want to confront them. Others don’t know that your partner has a habit of becoming quite aggressive when they’re enraged, so you would rather be quiet. Living in fear is no way to live your life, but it’s one reason why so many people come up with colorful excuses.

5. They’re Ashamed

Perhaps you don’t want to admit that your spouse is having an affair because it’s too painful, and you’re ashamed. You would rather not let anyone know about this secret part of your life. Shame can be a big reason people will make excuses and hide behind lies, as they want to keep others from knowing the truth.

6. They Want to Avoid Hurting People

Sometimes the truth is hard to handle, such as finding out your spouse is cheating or addiction. Many people will cover up lies and defend others because the truth is more painful than the lies they tell.

7. They Don’t Want to Fight

Sometimes being honest and not accepting the situation for what it is can cause significant arguments. You will often see parents trying to keep things from their spouse or children because they can’t bear tension in their family. Avoiding an altercation is one primary reason why people cover up some things.

8. They Fear Loss

Making excuses for someone isn’t always done because it’s the best option; it’s just because someone is afraid of losing this individual. If you call out this person on their issues or side with others against them, the pain of losing them may be too great to handle.

9. They Want to See Good

Some folks don’t live in denial about their loved ones, but they choose to see the good rather than the bad. When someone brings up their issues, they will talk about all the good in them rather than what they need to work on.

10. They Don’t See the Issue As Significant

Everyone sees things differently. While one person might judge someone and say what they did was horrible, sometimes, it’s might not be that bad. Individuals might come up with excuses for their loved ones when the situation isn’t as bad as it’s being made to be.

11. They Want to Manipulate Others

It often happens that people make excuses because they’re helping their loved one manipulate someone. They may be involved in their scheme, and they have their back no matter what the issue.

12. They Don’t Want People to Think Bad of Them

In the above illustration, if other coworkers found your sister to have a dependency issue, then they might look at her differently than they do now. While she may come across as accident-prone, it’s better than having them think all the worse things about someone you love.

13. They Know How Fragile They Are

Many folks will embellish their life or lie about their accomplishments to make themselves appear grander. For instance, they may say their job pays more or hold a higher position than they do. However, creating an excuse for their lies may be warranted because you know how low their self-esteem is, and you don’t want to break them further mentally.

14. To Justify Bad Behaviors, They’re Involved in

It’s effortless to make excuses for someone when you’re involved in bad behaviors. It’s easy to read an article about a celebrity and pass judgment, but you find it’s much harder to pass judgment when you’re somehow tangled in the web they weave.

15. They Have Co-Dependent Tendencies

Someone with co-dependent tendencies is more willing to make excuses for others than someone self-assured. This person is also probably plagued with dysfunctional communication, concerned about pleasing others, and afraid of being rejected or abandoned.

Final Thoughts on Why People Make Excuses for Others

The Karpman Drama Triangle is a theory that was created by author Stephen Karpman M.D. He explains this idea in his thrilling ebook A Game Free Life. He explains that whereas it appears innocent to make excuses for individuals and their behaviors, it typically comes with extreme penalties.

You create patterns of dysfunction while you allow somebody of their drama. While you wish to have your loved ones’s again and help them, you should be taught when it’s serving to and hindering them.

Back to top button