LEARNING TO LISTEN AND GROW FROM MISTAKES. Looking back at my early twenties, I can’t help but cringe at how I behaved. I thought I was being clever and witty, but really, I was just being inconsiderate. It’s funny, though—whenever I bring it up to people I knew back then, they say I wasn’t that bad. But I remember specific moments that still make me uncomfortable. These were times when I was more interested in showing off than actually being a decent human being. One moment that…
Looking back at my early twenties, I can’t help but cringe at how I behaved. I thought I was being clever and witty, but really, I was just being inconsiderate. It’s funny, though—whenever I bring it up to people I knew back then, they say I wasn’t that bad. But I remember specific moments that still make me uncomfortable. These were times when I was more interested in showing off than actually being a decent human being.
One moment that stands out happened at my job in New York. I had a coworker, Sarah, who was originally from Taiwan. She told me she didn’t like being called Chinese, and I should’ve just respected that. But instead, I thought I was “educating” her by pointing out that Taiwan’s official name is the Republic of China. I kept bringing it up, ignoring her feelings. Now, looking back, I realize how I could’ve simply listened and respected her identity, instead of making her feel dismissed.
Then there was the time in college, during a group discussion in a political science class at my university in Chicago. A classmate from Pakistan was asked about his country’s major exports, and without thinking, I shouted, “Terrorism!” I thought it was the funniest thing ever, so much that I said it twice. My friend was visibly uncomfortable, and the TA didn’t even acknowledge my comment. Back then, I thought I was hilarious, but now I know how insensitive and damaging it was. These experiences have stuck with me, reminding me of how much I had to grow and learn about empathy.
