I grew up believing that if something was considered “ideal” in my family, school, or community, it was the right way to do things. I followed those ideals without asking whether they were right for us, rather than right for everyone. Living in Japan made me question that.
One day, while teaching English to a Japanese student, I told him about a trip to Vietnam and complained about food I had found difficult to eat. Later, I asked what he thought about eating rice with your hands, which is normal in my culture but uncommon in Japan. I expected him to react negatively. Instead, he said he found it interesting. He had even tried it himself, but the rice kept falling from his hand.
That answer hit me. I had become so used to expecting judgment that I did not expect curiosity. At the same time, I realized that I had just spoken about Vietnamese food in the same way I disliked hearing people speak about my own culture. That moment became a course correction. I learned that something unfamiliar does not have to be treated as wrong. It can be different. Since then, I have tried to question my reaction. Ask before assuming and listen before deciding. I now bring the same habit into my work: instead of starting with what I think people need, I try to understand the problem first.
Something unfamiliar does not have to be treated as wrong. It can be different.
— Mayesha Maliha Proma