Familiarity

My 3 years old daughter was prescribed antibiotics. She took her medicine nonchalantly. I was discussing with my wife however whether our daughter should continue to take her medicine. She was within earshot and quickly piped up, “Ubat yang mana satu? Yang mathematic ke?” “Which medicine, the mathematic?”

I was silent for a while before I understand what she meant. She mistook antibiotics for mathematics. We then had a great laugh.

Children’s naivete aside, even we adults make the same mistakes. We might not do often, since we are familiar with a lot of things, but sometimes we slip up when we talk about new or unfamiliar things, especially when learning foreign language. We try to grasp for familiarity when we are challenge with foreign and alien information. Over time we become accustomed, and the unfamiliar becomes the comfortable and accepted truth, that we forget that we used to struggle with those same things.

It’s good that we expose ourselves to foreign things, so that not only our brains get ‘exercise’, but also our attitude towards people having a different view is more empathic and sympathetic, hence we ourselves are less reticent to learn new things. It’s a positive cycle, I think. I try to learn new things, but sometimes I do struggle having the patience when other people are ‘catching up’ to my understanding. I have deep respect for people who can calmly explain things without being condescending, so I hope one day I can become one.

Here’s to being curious and patient.

Thank you for reading.