Vanuatu

Overstepping onself...

Ever had one of those moments where you get a scary remind of how much you don’t know, and in spite of not knowing any of his, you still talk too much for your own good?

Often, back in Canada, either you interact with your own peers in the school setting or with elders in your own family or social circle: in the former case, this revelation is not very frequently as others (usually) know as less as you. The latter, on the other hand, has a very strong power hierarchy and due to this assumption (by yourself) that you, in comparison, don’t know anything at all, you usually save yourself from putting your foot in your moth or overstepping yourself.

But being here in Vanuatu and getting a chance to interact with fellow volunteers on a somewhat level footing, it is absolutely amazing how often one tents to perform this act of making a fool of themselves.

Most of these volunteers are 25+ (with majority going towards the higher age bracket) and the fact that they were selected for an international placement (almost) always means that they are accomplished in their field or profession that, and you realize that, culturally, they might not be as flashy and forthcoming with declarations of their achievements.

But in spite of acknowledging this, you can’t stop making a fool of yourself. You can’t stop stating your opinion even though it is more often than not founded on incorrect or incomplete information and simplistic conclusions. It’s almost like word vomit: you realize right when you open your mouth that what you’re saying can probably be attacked from a million sides, but regardless, you can’t shut up.

Secretly, I partly blame my education and experience in North America where confidence and being (overly?) vocal / assertive is culturally accepted as the right formula to succeed in life. But regardless, I acknowledge the fact that I still continue to “overstep” myself and often am not afforded the luxury of escaping public mockery, even if this mockery is something that goes on in people’s heads rather than being verbalized.

Moral of this post is: I need to learn how to be silent, especially when I realize the need to be silent!

posted by faa-T @ 12:03 PM