ABLA 2016’s
Lesson 4:
A
Mindfulness-Driven Moment
“Respect vs. Beliefs”
By Prof. Jonathan Acuña-Solano, M. Ed.
School of English
Faculty of Social Sciences
Universidad Latina de Costa Rica
Friday, September 2, 2016
Post 288
Have you ever stopped your daily
routine, either at work or at home, to question yourself on the respect any
individual deserves regardless of any hidden or manifested condition this human
being has? Though these are not the exact words that Amiris Helena and Sandra
Rodriguez used to phrase the question above, it is the one main idea I got
through their presentation at the ABLA 2016 Convention in Houston, TX. Both
Helena and Rodriguez made me re-question myself in two different ways: a) Is
one being governed by one’s beliefs at all times?, and b) is one being biased
by one’s community’s (pre)dominant gestalts at all times? And though I will try
to give an answer to these questions later on, let us explore some of the ideas
both presenters had us explore during their presentation.
How
do our beliefs condition our “respect” for the others? To start with it is
important to define what beliefs are to understand how they condition our
so-called respect for the others. A belief
can be defined as “confidence in the truth or existence of something not
immediately susceptible to rigorous proof” (Dictionary.Com, LCC, n.d.) . Based on this
definition, we are walking in life as if we were blindfolded by a truth that
probably does not exist or that cannot be proven, yet we trust our beliefs as
if they were irrefutable truths that can govern our way of doing things and
treating other individuals.
On the other hand, respect can be comprehended as “a
feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc.,
and should be treated in an appropriate way” (Merriam-Webster.Com, n.d.) . But are we treating
our fellow brothers and sisters because they are “important, serious,” and so
on? Beliefs are grounded on our community’s collective unconsciousness, which
–by the way- is never, ever questioned and which is not “immediately
susceptible to rigorous proof.” We can be walking out in life “treating” people
disrespectfully because we are blindfolded by these irrefutable truths we call
beliefs, and they do not allow us to see and understand “that someone … is
important” just the way they are. And if all this is transferred to our
workplaces, what is actually happening with all of us who get to work in a language
school in automatic pilot? Are we treating everyone respectfully beyond what I
believe and have never questioned before?
How
do we acknowledge diversity in our fellow people? When we walk into our
workplaces, diversity is present every step of our ways. Every single
individual in our offices, classrooms, lounges, and so on are nurtured with
diversity that needs to be accepted and consequently respected. As explained by
Helena & Rodríguez (2016) during their presentation, though we do not
necessarily accept what the other person holds as a belief or how s/he behaves
in certain ways, we have to acknowledge them by respecting their points of view
and ways of doing things. We may not “like” what they do, but these people
deserve to be treated with respect beyond the unreasonable domain of our
beliefs.
While listening to Helena & Rodríguez’s (2016) talk at ABLA in
Houston, several questionings popped up in my mind. All this self-examination
was shaped in the form of more questions that need to be asked:
a)
Are we aware of differences
of all type at work when one has to deal with peers, supervisors, bosses,
students, and in turn learners’ parents?
b)
Do we willingly accept all
those differences that are found in every corner of our workplaces?
c)
Are we comfortable with all
those differences surrounding us all the hours we spend at work?
d)
Are we really ready to go
beyond our beliefs and respect our co-workers regardless of the differences we
can number?
e)
And what about the relationships
that are created around our students in and outside the classroom?
f)
Are we ever comfortable
with all our learners, what they think, believe, and reason?
g)
Are we ripe and prepared to
start respecting our students just the way we want others to respect and value
us for what we are?
As it can be seen, Helena & Rodríguez (2016) made me think
in abundance about my beliefs and made me go back to my mindfulness training
during 2015. And now that I can see this list of questions in retrospection, I can
answer my own questioning honestly and in a respectful mode, which I am aware
of the moment I cross the threshold of the binational center and private university
I work for.
Finally, how do we “embrace” diversity in all sorts of individuals in our work
environment? Well, somehow this question summarizes all of the questions
above. And part of the answer to this self-examination is connected to the way
we understand “tolerance,” and this was something that Amiris Helena made me
reason further. Tolerance is not respect, and it is somehow a forced conduct in
our way of being; this can get to a point in which it can burst into aggression
and into a highly destructive behavior. Embracing diversity is not tolerating
people who think and lead their lives differently; it is a mindful act of
respect and acknowledgement of the others, just the way they are. Respect is
the key to live a life that embraces diversity in being, feeling, and thinking.
Let’s
respect others and live peacefully by untying ourselves from the
never-questioned gestalts that shape up a community’s collective
unconsciousness. And now when one is asked, “Are you being governed by your
beliefs at all times?, one needs to say that I am in a constant and mindful
process of questioning and reshaping what is believed and what is simply
unreasonable. Beliefs will not help us respect our fellow siblings. And when
asked if you are being biased by your community’s (pre)dominant gestalts at all
times?, you must answer –once again- that you are re-evaluating what the
mastermind behind the collective consciousness is directing us to do when we
are walking around the world in autopilot.
References
Dictionary.Com,
LCC. (n.d.). Belief. Obtenido de Dictionary.Com, LCC:
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/beliefs?s=t
Helena, A., & Rodríguez, S. (2016, August 16-19). Respect
vs. Beliefs. 21st Centrury Challenges ABLA 2016 Convention Program . Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico:
Instituto Mexicano Norteamericano de Relaciones Culturales.
Merriam-Webster.Com. (n.d.). Respect.
Obtenido de Meriam-Webster.Com:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/respect
Thursday, September 01, 2016
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