A riff off the Spinoza quote. The gist:

Most people are simply products of their environment. Thus you cannot really “blame” anyone for anything.

So what does this mean from a practical perspective? My thought:

Rather than trying to “change” people, we should strive to understand them and see where they are coming from.

And once you understand them and their perspective, you can determine:

1. Should I befriend this person or not?
2. Shall I do as they do, or shall I NOT do as they do?
3. How do I agree or disagree with them?