GARDEN/notes/Acceptance and approval are not the same.

These two things are not the same. They are very different. But we get them mixed up all the time, and that’s problematic.

Mixing up acceptance and approval creates all sorts of confusion, and misunderstandings, and cycles of abuse.

Acceptance is what we need and want from each other, but all too often we go around asking for approval instead. 

And we go around giving out approval (or disapproval) instead of offering acceptance. 

Acceptance is not the same as approval and approval is not the same as acceptance.

See also:

• GARDEN/notes/What acceptance is not
• Acceptance versus approval
• GARDEN/notes/Absolute acceptance
• GARDEN/notes/Approval versus connection