Hi all, I have not posted anything in this community for many months. Life has gotten a lot busier since my daughter is in high school. Our daily routine has changed tremendously and that takes away some valuable time to focus on HIVE. However, I figure, there is no use in complaining. I just need to adapt to different seasons in life and make the best use of my time, focusing on things that truly matter. I still practice minimalism in life, particularly in time management, and focus on worthy pursuits. As I so-called fine-tune my daily routine I hope to devote more time to HIVE.
The community's KISS prompt for this week (week 63) caught my attention because it's something I wanted to write about for quite a while. But I refrained from doing so because I don't really know how to put it into words. I struggle to express myself in English because I am not a native English speaker but I always try my best and at least try to compose something coherent despite grammar mistakes and awkward sentence structures.
There are 3 prompts given and I opted to answer option 1:
Option 1: Write about something that has been weighing on your mind concerning values, ethics, and principles.
A couple of years ago, at the height of the worldwide pandemic and COVID19 lockdown, a friend approached me with her concerns. I and my hubby had recently been vaccinated and she (an anti-vax) expressed her concerns about our choices. She asked whether we had thought it through or had done thorough research about the vaccines. She also mentioned the possibility of dying within a couple of years due to vaccine side effects and we didn't think about the implications for our kids. I was taken aback by her disapproving attitude and to be honest, I was offended.
I get that we all made our choices regarding COVID19 vaccines, to be vaccinated or not. It's a personal choice. But do we really need to disapprove of others who made choices different than ours?
There was a lot of debate or a war of words between the 2 different camps, the pro-vax vs anti-vax. I was neither of both. All I wanted was to protect my family with the knowledge I had and my trust and faith in God. My choices had nothing to do with anyone outside of our family. The audacity of someone disapproving of my choices and with a very condescending attitude made me feel disrespected and marginalized.
Now, what makes someone feels compelled to impose their values or beliefs on others?
Do you seriously think that your values/beliefs/convictions or choices in life are better than someone else?
I get it that we all want others to behave like us, think like us, and do what we do. But at what expense?
Have you ever thought about other people's feelings? Because when you are imposing your values/beliefs/convictions, you are a narcissist who thinks your beliefs or values are the best for everyone to follow. You don't care about people and all you want to do is to steal someone else autonomy to make choices in life that are in accordance with their needs. Just because your values feel right to you doesn't mean others are wrong.
So, what did I learn from this interaction with my friend?
I have to say it all comes down to respecting other people's choices in life. Even when we feel so strongly about our values/beliefs/convictions, does imposing it on others have benefits? Or are you just trying to appear more "superior" with a better outlook and perspective on things? To feel more important?
I also learn about the impact it can have on relationships. By imposing our values/beliefs/convictions on others we are essentially looking down on others. And no one likes it when they are made to feel stupid for choosing something that they feel is right for their life.
Everyone on this planet has a set of values or a belief system to guide their life. When we say we have better values and impose them on others, we are marginalizing others and not respecting them.
That's it for now. If you read this far, thank you. I appreciate it so much! Kindly give me a follow if you like my content. I mostly write about making art, life musing, and our mundane yet charming family life here in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
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I agree with you. I am not vaccinated, I also live in the woods and have much less interaction with the outside world than most. Had it been different circumstances for me, I may have chosen to get vaccinated.
Like you said, its a personal choice. There are many reasons why people chose to get vaccinated, and many reasons people didn't.
But the lack of respect from both camps was grotesque. I am glad its mostly over, for now....
Exactly. We made choices based on what we think is best for us. I am glad our lives have largely returned to normal. The pandemic was a very difficult time for everyone.
I have had my fair share of people imposing their opinions and beliefs on me, I just learned to be firm and let them know that it’s my choice and they should respect it.
That is how it should be, put the person in their place. They had no business questioning people's choices in life. While I understand a little bit of push can be helpful to someone to reflect and reconsider their choices but it should be done with respect, and not with a condescending attitude.
People have a right to make their own choices about health. Consider this though. A friend will tell you things that may make you uncomfortable. It is your enemy who will smile and nod as you head toward your demise.