Written by: Jon Kabashi
This blog is going to be talking about social norms and what is expected of you from society. I will discuss whether these values of society are a good or bad thing and why. Today, I will be talking about the word ‘No’. ‘No’, it's just a simple word, meaning you refuse something or give a negative response. But in society, it can be taken as something offensive in some cases. For example, a group of acquaintances ask you if you want to go out to Starbucks and get some hot chocolate. You don't want to go, so you say ‘No, sorry I've got work to do. Maybe another time?’ If you would say this, they would understand that you are not able to come because, in this context, you have something important to finish. However, if you just said ‘No’ and walked away, they would think you are being rude and you do not appreciate their offer. But why? I personally think that it's because today society is not used to getting a negative response without a reason to rationalise it. I mean, you could say yes to that same question and proceed to go to Starbucks without having to explain yourself. So why must you explain yourself when you say no? In my opinion, you should be able to say no, walk away and no one gets offended. Maybe it's because people don't like negative opinions? Maybe it's because people were raised to receive positive answers? There is no definite answer, but people should, in my opinion, consider learning to receive a negative response without a reason to rationalise it. I mean, I get the fact that you don't want a negative response, but sometimes society has to learn that not everything revolves around them. It would benefit some people if people would learn to take a negative opinion. For instance, you don't feel like going somewhere so you just say no, with out having to give a reason. I don't know about some people, but for me, that would help a lot. I wouldn’t want to refuse someone's offer and hurt them, but at the same time I don't want to lie to them. If you ever get stuck in this type of scenario, you are basically between a rock and a hard place! To conclude this discussion, I understand why it is a custom for people to not be able to accept a negative answer, and I appreciate it. I suggest that people should not be able to take a negative reaction and be able to. It just depends on the situation and the person. I think that by taking this into consideration, many people would benefit from this. Thank you for reading this blog entry, and I hope you have a fabulous day!
2 Comments
Oleg Tolmachov
14/10/2016 03:58:06 am
Jon, I think it helps when you have got like-minded people around you.
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MR Morgan
14/10/2016 05:29:33 am
I think this is a really interesting piece and well argued. You have inspired me to say no more often! Thanks.
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