"Don't give people ammunition against you!" My boss said it without any urgency—just plainly stating those words, intending to give me advice, yet it stirred waves in my heart.
Since entering the workplace, this phrase has transformed into different versions that keep entering my ears. For instance, a former boss once said, "Learn to protect yourself." These words all show how important it is in the workplace to handle matters with "sophistication" and "attention to all angles."
I'm someone with a rather impatient personality, and I speak casually without much solemnity. This has been a flaw since childhood—it sounds nice to call it easygoing, but bluntly put, it comes across as impolite. My friends in university used to say this about me, sometimes seriously, sometimes jokingly. To this day I haven't truly reflected on it, but I have been gradually adjusting my approach.
Perhaps not wanting to become too distant from others, I mostly treat people with the same casual attitude. Of course, with bosses, seniors, or people I'm not very close to, I still express my thoughts respectfully.
But a senior pointed out that when time is pressing, my words become rushed, making people feel like I want to hurry and end the conversation. People who know me well understand my personality, but in the eyes of those unfamiliar with me, it comes across as impolite.
After reflecting later, I realized: growing up is perhaps like this. You can think about being yourself, but you can't help but consider others. Continuing to be self-indulgent is simply too selfish. It's not that we need to demand we become worldly, but rather we must learn that gentleness is a form of maturity.
We can hold onto our original passion and intentions, but we can no longer behave like children, always expecting others to give in, thinking that crying long enough will eventually get us candy. We can be pure-hearted, but not naïve and childish, believing the world has wronged us all.
Perhaps the day when we can treat others with gentleness while also defending our own position, when we can employ this skill as smoothly as flowing clouds and water, no longer finding it difficult or troubling—that will be a new growth and breakthrough.
