Category: Daily Encounters
“How are you doing?” In many countries this is just a standard greeting, followed by a standard answer like „Fine, thanks. How are you?“ How do you react to this way of greeting? Have you ever felt the need to answer honestly instead and to say how you actually feel? Share your thoughts!
Have you ever noticed how natural it is for us to choose a coloured car, and yet that most of our laptops are only black or silver? In this blog article I question the alleged unprofessional aura of coloured laptops. I believe functionality and aesthetics are not mutually exclusive. Have you every chosen less colour only to come across as more professional?
In our complex world, we usually cannot determine anymore where, and to whom, our money goes to when we make a purchase. Often the purchasing process is handled largely via machines (e.g. online shopping), so we often don’t perceive it as a trade anymore, as something that happens between humans, but as a purely individualistic act, where the goal is to get the desired object or service as cheaply as possible.
How often and in what situations do you say “sorry”? Is that expression (or equivalents) related to admitting guilt, in your opinion? To me, it has more something to do with empathy than with blame, which is why I am advocating for its use. Often we unintentionally cause others pain, but when we show acknowledgement with expressions like “sorry”, people may feel more cared for and respected.
How do you react when people ask you questions about things that are none of their business? Do you automatically go into defensive mode or do you enjoy explaining your point of view on that matter? I think part of removing our masks and establishing real connections with others is about trying to understand each other. That implies to be curious about other people’s reasons for acting in certain ways and their point of views instead of judging based on one’s own perspective.
Have you also noticed the controversial debate about whether gender is a biological fact or a social construct? Have you passionately taken one side or do you find this debate annoying? In either case (unless you really couldn’t care less), this article could give you some peace – gender turns out to be a biological fact *and* social construct! The former is regarded as sex and the latter as gender. It depends on the relevance in the situation, which one makes sense to refer to.