To understand others and be understood correctly, it is critical to develop strong analytical skills or be more attentive. It is essential to know how to avoid making deeply wrong conclusions about others when dealing with confusing situations. In this paper, I would like to describe one situation that has taught me to avoid jumping to conclusions about other people based on limited or distorted facts.
The situation that has encouraged me to challenge the way of how I react to others took place a few years ago at one grocery store near my house. Being in a bad mood, I was making purchases and decided to take a moment to find my favorite type of bread. Suddenly, one adult stranger approached me with two loaves of bread in his hands and asked me to say which one was fresher. I took his unusual question apprehensively and did not understand why someone would need to make such requests. Even without looking at him, I told the man to take a look at expiration dates on the packaging and then continued making purchases. After a short pause, the man asked another person to help him, and I finally took a look at him to find out that he was wearing dark glasses and had partial vision loss. That moment, I went bright red with shame and realized that my response had been extremely rude.
I often remember the described situation when I have to interact with strangers, and I keep in mind that they might have disabilities or other issues that make them helpless in everyday situations. In the United States, there are about twelve million adults with significant vision impairments (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Any of these or other individuals with health issues might need help in public places, but disabilities are not always obvious, which can create concerns. Making sure to fully understand why someone asks you for assistance prior to responding is critical to avoid awkward situations.
Reference
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Fast facts of common eye disorders.