Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable by Jada

Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable by Jada - March 2024 Scholarship Essay

Trouvaille: something lovely discovered by chance. As I entered the classroom for my speech forensics class, I hoped this would be true.

It was the beginning of our debate unit and we were supposed to be selecting pairs to debate with against another group. I had known since first semester that this one individual in particular had an extremely different upbringing in that he was raised under traditional values and was very religious. I, on the other hand, was raised in a way where I had the liberty to decide what I wanted to believe in, especially in regards to religious practices and moral values. It was this distinction that would slowly foster the beginning of a friendship that prospered through our differences.

For me, I wanted to be partnered with him because as someone who values learning about how others think and is very open minded towards cultural and/or social differences, I knew that this would be a great opportunity to acquire knowledge from someone who was not afraid to share his opinion, even if everyone else were to disagree with him. I purposely took this class to combat my speech anxiety and was working on getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Yet, by partnering with him, little did I know that this experience would allow me the most growth not just as a public speaker, but also as a person.

As we were both of a similar mindset that this would be a great opportunity to understand the other’s perspective, from the day we began talking, I knew deep down that my perception of him was changing too. With near every topic that we discussed, there was little commonality that could be drawn between our opinions. To have such an honest and open conversation in a respectful manner was a new experience for me, and it taught me greatly how even when two parties are opposing each other, there is room for both respect and maturity in the conversation.

I learned to appreciate his rigid and logical thinking, and in turn he began to understand the emotional connections that can be an exemplar for what the average family may experience. As time progressed and we had to settle our own mini-debate to choose a topic that we can debate together on, after being unable to compromise for a week, my perspective had opened up to the various unknown possibilities of the political, religious, social, and emotional ideologies that I had not yet had experience in understanding or learning about.

Learning from a fellow peer who was articulate and vocal, I matured—both in vocabulary and capacity of thinking. This experience taught me so much about conflict resolution and developed my understanding of how politics work in a two-party system. To be able to argue my stance on various topics and then compromise on one to work together with the person I opposed, was an invaluable opportunity to me. Not simply because I was able to learn about him as a person instead of judging him for who I thought he was, but because I grew in that I was able to communicate effectively and honestly with someone who was just as willing to learn from me as I was him. Open-mindedness and compassion are crucial for the development of a better tomorrow, and I will forever be grateful for this one class due to the fact that I left the class more confident in my voice and with one more friend.