Yes, you are right
Throughout my life I have been told that I am wrong, stupid, myopic, narrow-minded and insecure.
People ask me for my opinion so that they simply could refute whatever that I have said and tell me their version, which to them, is the universal and the only truth. Co-workers, friends, family members and even taxi-drivers hand me verdicts that found me guilty, questioning my logic and putting a menacing justification on my incapability.
Everyone has their different view point and how can anything be ever in black and white. Why can't we agree to disagree? I try to listen hard to the other person's viewpoints so why can't he/she just listen to mine? In our younger years teachers and people of higher authorities consider the expression of an alternative opinion an act of rebellion. Students then treat this as a form of subjugation.
I have this friend back in Secondary school that cannot take it that there is an alternative view. My ex-colleague is one that always starts his sentence with "No,..."
In the past, whenever someone declared my argument wrong, I would put up a fight and try to explain to him/her that there are always 2 sides to a coin and that other viewpoints can just be as legitimate. I soon realize that the argument would just degenerate to a battle of egos and turn everyone blind.
Nowadays when someone shuts off to whatever I (or others as well, on numerous occasions) have to say and openly argues back and starts to go hysterical about his/her stand, I have nothing else to do. I would just wait for an appropriate pause in the middle of the oration and walk away after looking at the person in the eye to say, "Yes, you are right."
People ask me for my opinion so that they simply could refute whatever that I have said and tell me their version, which to them, is the universal and the only truth. Co-workers, friends, family members and even taxi-drivers hand me verdicts that found me guilty, questioning my logic and putting a menacing justification on my incapability.
Everyone has their different view point and how can anything be ever in black and white. Why can't we agree to disagree? I try to listen hard to the other person's viewpoints so why can't he/she just listen to mine? In our younger years teachers and people of higher authorities consider the expression of an alternative opinion an act of rebellion. Students then treat this as a form of subjugation.
I have this friend back in Secondary school that cannot take it that there is an alternative view. My ex-colleague is one that always starts his sentence with "No,..."
In the past, whenever someone declared my argument wrong, I would put up a fight and try to explain to him/her that there are always 2 sides to a coin and that other viewpoints can just be as legitimate. I soon realize that the argument would just degenerate to a battle of egos and turn everyone blind.
Nowadays when someone shuts off to whatever I (or others as well, on numerous occasions) have to say and openly argues back and starts to go hysterical about his/her stand, I have nothing else to do. I would just wait for an appropriate pause in the middle of the oration and walk away after looking at the person in the eye to say, "Yes, you are right."
posted by Bao at
10:15 AM
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