Responses to this question may differ depending on the people and the negative incident(s) from your past. If the incident was of a grievous nature, for some they may never get past it. Even if the incident(s) was not significant, some individuals have a difficult time moving past impressions they have of other people. For example, some older siblings may have continue to view and treat younger brother or sisters in the same way as they did growing up, even into adulthood.

The first step is to determine the motives for addressing your concern. Convincing a person is not only dependent on how you approach this issue, but how receptive that person is in receiving the information. Secondly, discuss this with the other person(s). Having a open and honest dialogue is a great first step. Taking ownership about your actions and your motivation to address this issue could go along way. Once you open up a dialogue about your goal, do not be afraid to bring it up again at a later point. This will increase the likelihood that your efforts are being received in the way that they are intended.