Honoring People _ habib Hussien

All of us have teachers that made an impact in our lives or their teaching stays with us for a long time. I have a few of these teachers in my secondary school and Pre-University school.

I remember this one teacher in my Pre-U who taught us in our GP (General Paper or English lesson for those who do not know the syllabus of Singapore schools). He was a tall Malay gentleman. And his teaching technique was considered very creative in the early 80s. For example, once he came into the class, wrote a statement on the blackboard and asked the own class to compose an article from that statement he had written. After 40 mins (the length of our class), we expected him to collect all our compositions for grading. However, he asked the whole class to throw away what we had spent 40 mins squeezing our brain writing! His explanation was very simple. He just wanted us to exercise our brain. The grading is not important.

One of the thing that he taught in the class that stayed with me till now is his explanation of 'assumption'. He taught that each written sentence has 3 meanings to it. First, the meaning of the sentence itself. Second, the meaning of the sentence from the writer's point of view. Third, the meaning of the sentence from the reader's point of view. And how it is so dangerous for a reader to assume what the writer means if the reader do not know the background of the writing or know the writer personally. And how in most instances, such assumptions by the readers are proven wrong when the one get to know the writer or when the writer offered a clearer explanation of why he/she wrote certain sentences.

To make us remember the danger of assuming what others are thinking, saying or writing, he offered a very simple meaning to the word 'assume'. He said that to assume will always make an "ass" out of "u" and "me"! We (at least I am up to now) were totally blown off by his creative way to drill into our mind not only the meaning of assumption by also how it can hurt others and ourselves as most assumptions are wrong.

Over the years, I have made so many assumptions when reading or hearing what others wrote or say. And in most instances, it really made an "ass' out of the other party and me, and in worst case, hurting the other parties.

So, the next time we want to make any assumption, just remember the meaning of assume as offered by my GP teacher, though it is somewhat crude.