The title speaks for itself.
So for today's post, I'm gonna talk about giving respect.
(Sorry if you think this will be a boring lecture/nagging session, but I have this inspiration to type this out because today's incident is honestly bugging me too much. Its not my problem, but seriously, as a bystander, this is annoying to even watch.)
So hey guys!
I believe that since young, our parents taught us how to respect others. For my parents, the most basic thing I learnt is to not interrupt when someone is talking. Be it a child younger than you, someone elder, the teacher you hate or your annoying brother. Because you never knew what they want to say, it can be crap but that isn't the point. The point is no matter what they are saying, you respect them by listening to the end.
And that's why when an adult lectures me about something crappy, I stand there and listen till the end. Rebellious teens tend to talk back or ignore the elders or whatever. But my advice to whoever reading this: You can sometimes learn a thing or two when you are not interrupting someone who is crapping in front of you.
Surprising, no?
To most of my friends, yes it is quite absurd to not interrupt someone. So I have this friend whom she thinks that the biggest breach of the law of respecting others is interruption. That's cool, right?
But the irony was: she would 'interrupt' you as you speak by swiping her phone.
Come on, my fellow Gen Ys. We can do better than this! We are probably the most creative generation ever! Not innovative but creative! Even if you hated listening to someone so much because it wastes your time, try lowering down your ego and listen or try multi - tasking.
Here's what I do most of the time when I'm listening someone who annoys me a lot:
I multitask with a condition I don't interrupt. I don't swipe my phone obviously. I begin thinking of what's my plan for the rest of the day, what homework I haven't been doing, or maybe just playback the song I heard this morning before going for class. Yep, the miscellaneous thoughts.
Of course, while you are listening to someone speaking and thinking at the same time, don't forget to drop a few "mmhmms" and "uh-huhs" here and there on the right time to respect the person talking.
Occasionally, you can imagine how you can kill them there and then in your head and probably count the number of times he/she had died in your head.
Interrupting people just to get your opinion into the conversation doesn't make you a wise person. No matter how smart your idea was or how cute your new phone cover looks, interrupting someone will not, I repeat, will not make your idea look smart or your phone cover cute.
I'm dead serious.
Coming into college, you will realize that most lecturers hate students who doesn't silence their cellphones. Thanks to advancement of technology and free WiFi around the campus combined with the reckless attitude of students for not muting their phones, the constant ringing and message vibrations will most definitely annoy the hell out of others. But guess who would be annoyed to the tip of their hair?
Yes, the lecturers.
That's because you are interrupting them while they are teaching, in other words, you are not respecting them. Obviously elders hated young people that disrespect them. You probably won't realize it now but let's take some real life, relatable examples. Your younger sibling interrupts your gaming session, disrespecting you that you are playing Dota with your friends. Okay? You got the hang of it? When you are so into something, someone just have to kill that steam. You just go like "urgh!", right?
So, anyway, maybe that lecturer can be the most bullsh*t lecturer you ever met in class, but so what? He ain't gonna respect you if you don't respect him. After all, he is the one that will be grading your test papers and assignment, while all you are gonna do is sit there paying his salary via demanding yet unreasonable college fees. Who's loss then?
Exactly. So that's what happened this morning in my English class. It didn't happen to me, but a classmate of mine. I won't be including any names here, just sharing an experience because it just HURTS my brain and my rather low level of patience for such people.
Tuesday morning, English lecturer was late for class for approximately 15 minutes or so. She strolled into the classroom, slamming the door behind her as she wished everyone a good morning. She put down the heavy stacks of papers and begin telling the class about her day in the staff office. How the photocopy machine broke down and things like that. Her face amid the makeups, flushed red in frustration while she speak how desperate she needed a photocopy of an important document.
Then, one sane student forgot to mute his phone in the middle of her story telling.
Ding!
"I'm so sorry teacher! I forgot to silent my phone." The student apologized and quickly did a few swipes on his Samsung.
The lecturer pursed her lips, rolled her eyes and begin the class. Today, she will be returning our report drafts one by one, telling each of us of our mistake so that we wouldn't repeat it in our final report.
One by one students name were called out and again, the same ringtone gave a rang.
Ding!
"I'm so sorry teacher! I swore I silent my phone already!" He apologized simply and quickly did a few more swipes on his Samsung. The lecturer frowned angrily, looking at the boy with a murderous aura before announcing to the class with gritted teeth, "Class, how many times had I mentioned about silencing your phone?"
"Please give some respect while I give back your drafts." Her angry eyes gave one last sweep before calming down and stared down at the papers in front of her. The briefing between the student and the lecturer was cut off so abruptly by the sudden interruption of a ding! , resulting in a broken flow of thoughts.
After everyone was done, the lecturer sat at her place and looked deeply into the eyes of each of the students in class. Then she spoke about the drafts. She lectured about the silly, reckless mistakes we made in the report. Everyone was pin - drop silent. listening to what she was talking attentively.
The talk got pretty serious when suddenly, someone's phone rang.
It was from a girl.
"Sorry sorry teacher-"
That was the last straw.
The lecturer slammed her fist on the table, pressed her forehead at both sides and let out a huge bellow. "RESPECT PLEASE!"
So this event is the sole reason why I'm writing this post. I hoped the girl had learnt her lesson because today wasn't her first time "forgetting" to silent her phone. Its like the event of the boy who forgot to silent his phone before her didn't make it as a reminder to her.
She probably even did it out of purpose. Maybe to attract attention? Who cares.
The bottom line?
Think before you do anything. Make sure whatever you did, it isn't interrupting others. Be it when someone is talking, teaching, presenting, learning, whatever. Of course I'm not saying that you should go the extreme of stop breathing because the sound of your breathing probably interrupt others.
People, you are all aged 18 to 19. A year or two and you are an adult. All you need is to be a little more considerate. Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I don't think a 19 year old girl like me is experienced enough to talk about decision making but this is all I have to say.
You are old enough to think. So, good luck people! :)
Signing out.
- 11:39 PM
- 0 Comments
