To me, change is whatever in this world that is different from their original, it could be for the better or worse. The world is constantly changing, and so are the advancement of technology, education and the economy. People are able to easily access any kind of information in this world at any time and anywhere. But if we are not careful, we could fall victim to misinformation or worse, false information. With more information readily available and accessible, we know more, learn more, and think more; people start to think more about their rights and freedom, and other political issues. They speak up and speak out more, but listen less.
I believe that the root of every problem starts out from miscommunication, and the core of miscommunication is when you don’t listen to each other. Simply put, if you don’t listen, you will not understand. And when you don’t understand something, that’s when the conflict starts. As was the case between my mum and I, we learned more from the news but we picked and chose the information differently based on what best fit our beliefs.
Sometimes we think that our beliefs are 100% correct, so we refuse to listen to opinions that are different from ours. Aware of this notion, now when I talk to someone who has a different opinion than mine, I apply the 4Cs strategy:
Chance: Give the other person a chance to express his/her opinion.
Communication: Listen with an open mind without any prejudice, even if you disagree with his/her opinion. By listening, you could learn more about his/her way of thinking. Just like in a debate, you need to learn what evidence the opposition can present in order to better understand his/her stance.
Consideration and Cerebration: Be kind and considerate of people’s feelings, but at the same time, analyse and comprehend the information given. This combination enables you to be more respectful toward each other and listen more efficiently.
Compromise: If an agreement cannot be reached, both sides need to meet in the middle and accept mutual agreement. You cannot force your opinion onto others.
Now, you may wonder what happened after my disagreement with my mum. I’m sorry to say that she kicked me out of the house. Haha, I’m just kidding! We still live peacefully in the same house and we love each other just as much as before.
This is because we listen to each other’s opinion and we respect one another. Although we still have different views, we don’t argue about it because we have a common understanding.
By Manutchaya Maneechote
Manutchaya Maneechote is a third-year student at PSU Phuket studying International Business China at the Faculty of International Studies. This article was featured in ’The Phuket Collegiate Magazine’, the university magazine published by Milla Budiarto at Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket Campus. For more information, visit: https://www.phuket.psu.ac.th/en/magazine or to share ideas with Milla email: magazine@phuket.psu.ac.th.