Me and Neutral Mind

"Hooray, she's finally gone. Haha, such a relief. The person who has been causing us headaches lately has finally disappeared, haha...

What I thought and felt when I heard my friends' conversation at that time was confusion, and I didn't feel the relief they did.

It started like this: I had been working at a clothing store for quite a while. About three months ago, a new employee arrived, and it turned out to be someone I 'knew'.

She worked as expected. However, for some reason known only to her, she often took leaves for a whole month, even when there were many orders. However, her reasons were considered less important by my other colleagues, which led to her taking frequent leaves.

At first, I thought, 'It's okay' and could still understand it. However, as time passed, she had already been informed that if it was time to work, she should understand her obligations.

However, a few days ago, she actually lied to all of us. She claimed that she was sick, even though at that time, my friends saw with their own eyes that she was out with her boyfriend

At that point, I still thought that maybe she was genuinely ill. I couldn't trust either side because I hadn't heard it from her.

Days passed, and my friends' dislike for her grew until she eventually quit.

I can understand why my friends didn't like her behavior. From my perspective, I could conclude that she couldn't understand why she was disliked by other friends. On the other hand, she is actually kind and friendly. That's what I know.

When my friends talked about her, I could only laugh awkwardly and feel confused. "How should I respond?" That's what I thought.

Based on my past experiences and stories I've heard from others, I've become cautious in my speech...

A few things that made me like this are...

1. I don't want to experience the same thing as the person they're talking about.

How do you feel when your friends talk about you behind your back? I feel uncomfortable, especially if we accidentally hear it directly or from others. Hufft. Honestly, I also have a little bit of dislike. What I mean is, I feel disappointed if she lied. But that feeling doesn't last long; a few hours later or the next day when I meet her, that feeling is gone.

2. Thinking badly of others is not a good thing for me.

Thinking badly or having negative assumptions is something that is forbidden in my religion. Why? Because it makes me continuously have negative assumptions and can lead to conflicts that result in the rupture of a relationship. So, I think, "It's already happened, so just let it pass."

3. I don't want to be in conflict with others.

Being in conflict with someone is not enjoyable. Humans are social creatures who need each other's help.

So, maybe someday I'll need her help, or perhaps she'll need mine.

4. I don't want to prolong the issue and make it complicated. Long and complicated problems often give me headaches and make my days burdensome. Especially when we meet someone we dislike, it's sure to make us feel irritated every day. I think there are many other important things to consider. So, I don't want to burden my mind with something that is actually easy to resolve but is made difficult. But it doesn't mean I'm ignoring what's happening. As much as possible, I advise her with humor because, after all, we're still friends, even though we haven't known each other for long. Yeah, that's roughly my thought process.

That's what I can express for now. Forgiving is indeed difficult, but it doesn't mean it's impossible. That's all; take the good lessons, happy reading. Thank you. (⁠ ⁠ꈍ⁠ᴗ⁠ꈍ⁠)"