10 Do Others Always Feel the Same as You?
/10 Do Others Always Feel the Same as You?
*Hassan was a boy who loved fruit.
/*Hassan was a boy who loved fruit.
He especially loved mangoes.
/He especially loved mangoes.
Sweet, juicy, and full of aroma that filled his mouth—he couldn’t get enough.
/Sweet, juicy, and full of aroma that filled his mouth—he couldn’t get enough.
To *Hassan, mangoes were “the most delicious food in the world.”
/To *Hassan, mangoes were “the most delicious food in the world.”
One day during lunch break at school, *Hassan was eating lunch with his best friend *Ahmad.
/One day during lunch break at school, *Hassan was eating lunch with his best friend *Ahmad.
His lunch included mango slices that his mother had prepared.
/His lunch included mango slices that his mother had prepared.
“*Ahmad, try this! It’s mango. It’s super delicious!”
/“*Ahmad, try this! It’s mango. It’s super delicious!”
*Hassan smiled as he offered the mango.
/*Hassan smiled as he offered the mango.
*Ahmad looked a bit troubled and said,
/*Ahmad looked a bit troubled and said,
“Hmm… I’m not really a fan of mangoes.”
/“Hmm… I’m not really a fan of mangoes.”
*Hassan was shocked.
/*Hassan was shocked.
“What!? But they’re so good! Have you tried them? You’ll love them!”
/“What!? But they’re so good! Have you tried them? You’ll love them!”
*Ahmad reluctantly took a bite, but quickly made a sour face.
/*Ahmad reluctantly took a bite, but quickly made a sour face.
“Yeah… still not my thing. Sorry.”
/“Yeah… still not my thing. Sorry.”
At that moment, *Hassan felt a cloud of confusion in his heart.
/At that moment, *Hassan felt a cloud of confusion in his heart.
“Why? Why doesn’t he think it’s delicious? It’s my favorite…”
/“Why? Why doesn’t he think it’s delicious? It’s my favorite…”
That afternoon, *Hassan couldn’t shake off the gloomy feeling.
/That afternoon, *Hassan couldn’t shake off the gloomy feeling.
*Ahmad saying mangoes weren’t tasty kept spinning in his head.
/*Ahmad saying mangoes weren’t tasty kept spinning in his head.
After school, *Hassan sat on a bench in a nearby park.
/After school, *Hassan sat on a bench in a nearby park.
An old man, who often read books in the park, came by.
/An old man, who often read books in the park, came by.
“What’s wrong? You look down,” the man said.
/“What’s wrong? You look down,” the man said.
*Hassan told him what had happened that day.
/*Hassan told him what had happened that day.
He explained how he offered mango to *Ahmad, but *Ahmad didn’t like it, and how that made him feel bad.
/He explained how he offered mango to *Ahmad, but *Ahmad didn’t like it, and how that made him feel bad.
The man thought for a moment and then spoke slowly.
/The man thought for a moment and then spoke slowly.
“*Hassan, I understand wanting to share something you love. That’s a beautiful feeling. But sometimes, that feeling turns into an assumption that others will feel the same.”
/“*Hassan, I understand wanting to share something you love. That’s a beautiful feeling. But sometimes, that feeling turns into an assumption that others will feel the same.”
*Hassan’s eyes widened.
/*Hassan’s eyes widened.
“Assumption…?”
/“Assumption…?”
“Yes. People feel things differently. Likes and dislikes vary. So saying ‘You’ll love this!’ might ignore the other person’s feelings and push your own.”
/“Yes. People feel things differently. Likes and dislikes vary. So saying ‘You’ll love this!’ might ignore the other person’s feelings and push your own.”
*Hassan nodded quietly.
/*Hassan nodded quietly.
“Maybe I just wanted *Ahmad to feel the same as me…”
/“Maybe I just wanted *Ahmad to feel the same as me…”
The man smiled warmly.
/The man smiled warmly.
“Realizing that is wonderful. What matters isn’t ‘They must feel the same,’ but ‘They have feelings just like you.’ Respecting those feelings is true kindness.”
/“Realizing that is wonderful. What matters isn’t ‘They must feel the same,’ but ‘They have feelings just like you.’ Respecting those feelings is true kindness.”
Those words gently entered *Hassan’s heart.
/Those words gently entered *Hassan’s heart.
The next day, when *Hassan saw *Ahmad, he spoke directly.
/The next day, when *Hassan saw *Ahmad, he spoke directly.
“I’m sorry about yesterday. I pushed the mango on you. I didn’t think about your feelings.”
/“I’m sorry about yesterday. I pushed the mango on you. I didn’t think about your feelings.”
*Ahmad smiled and said,
/*Ahmad smiled and said,
“It’s okay. But I’m glad you said that.”
/“It’s okay. But I’m glad you said that.”
*Hassan felt his heart become lighter.
/*Hassan felt his heart become lighter.
From then on, when talking with friends, *Hassan started asking, “What do you think?” first.
/From then on, when talking with friends, *Hassan started asking, “What do you think?” first.
He began to value not only his own feelings but also those of others.
/He began to value not only his own feelings but also those of others.
And *Hassan thought,
/*And *Hassan thought,
“It’s not that others feel the same as me, but that they have important feelings just like I do.”
/“It’s not that others feel the same as me, but that they have important feelings just like I do.”
Review Questions (Multiple Choice)
/Review Questions (Multiple Choice)
Q1. What fruit did *Hassan offer to *Ahmad?
/Q1. What fruit did *Hassan offer to *Ahmad?
A. Banana
/A. Banana
B. Mango
/B. Mango
C. Apple
/C. Apple
Q2. What helped *Hassan start thinking about others’ feelings?
/Q2. What helped *Hassan start thinking about others’ feelings?
A. Advice from *Ahmad
/A. Advice from *Ahmad
B. A talk with his mother
/B. A talk with his mother
C. A conversation with the man in the park
/C. A conversation with the man in the park
Let’s Think!
/Let’s Think!
① Why did *Hassan offer mango to *Ahmad? What kind of feeling do you think that was?
/① Why did *Hassan offer mango to *Ahmad? What kind of feeling do you think that was?
② Have you ever recommended something you love to a friend, but it didn’t go well? What do you think you could have done differently?
/② Have you ever recommended something you love to a friend, but it didn’t go well? What do you think you could have done differently?
