Dilemma about Human Beings

Human beings are unpredictable. As long as there is an essence of life, there will be many factors that make us ‘tick’... or in other words, complexities that determine how we behave. Sometimes I don’t know whether it’s something scary or something to appreciate about the intricacies of God’s creation.

Let’s put hormones aside, coz that’s something that is our humanistic make-up. ‘Experiences’ is the word. This is what really amazes me… the depth and extent of how experiences can determine and even at times control a person’s thoughts and behavior.

Spending the bulk of waking hours at work, this can be evidently observed and / or felt at the workplace. In fact, it isn’t solely the workplace… even in church, this can be noticed. In short, wherever there are human beings, there will be differences (positive and negative).

Positive differences can be seen through an individual’s ability in certain areas of work, thought or interaction. Negative differences are realized through how work is done or when an unpleasant interaction takes place between people. Either way, we can’t avoid both the positive and negative differences of human beings.

Each of us is brought up under very different circumstances, be it at either extremes or somewhere neutral in between the two. This is one fact that cannot be disputed, for everyone has different parents, lifestyle, etc… and especially their own distinct temperament. These experiences mold our character and mind.

At work, I began to realize that there are instances where colleagues dispute over the font color to be used, what kind of border design, how should the layout look like, is the content long or short, how to take notes, whether to present using presentation slide or word document, to make a phone call or send an e-mail, etc.

There are all sorts of habits and preferences! At times, moods would be affected when people don’t agree with each other. Then there is also an aspect of how to respond to authority figures, what is considered a fair and unfair expectation, whose task is of priority, etc. Sometimes it can be such a headache. That’s why learning to manage your bosses, colleagues and external parties is indeed a skill.

But this is part and parcel of interacting with human beings. Even animals fight with one another, whether of the same species or not. Plants also compete for sunlight, nutrients and water. Such is the complexities of living things…