Editorial | Nov 19,2022
Nov 12 , 2022
By Kidist Yidnekachew
I was having lunch with my friends and their relatives the other week. A young boy in his 20s was sitting at our table, accompanied by his two lady friends. He introduced one of them as his cousin; none from the table had close friendships with him except for one. As everyone started to get along, people from the table questioned the relationship with the girl he claimed to be his cousin.
Sitting across from him, I could see that he was uncomfortable with the comments. He kept on insisting that they were cousins, but nobody believed him. It got awkward at some point as he gave up and kept quiet despite the overflowing comments. Surprisingly, they were aware of crossing the line but went on with their thwarting act anyway. After a while, the boy had enough and decided to leave. He stayed 30 minutes with all those comments flying his way was a miracle.
Sticking a nose in somebody's business has become a custom. One cannot be proud of this bad habit. It is unpleasant to witness a person's face change in an uncomfortable situation. At least it should give a clue to stop, but apparently, not everyone understands that. It is like inception to get into our brains and dare to claim that they are entitled to whatever is going on inside.
Who gave people the right to meddle in other's personal life?
It was not my first time witnessing a similar incident; it has happened on too many occasions.
As I hurriedly headed out to my rendezvous a while ago, this woman stopped to greet me. She kept asking too many personal questions and would not let me leave. She started giving me unsolicited advice claiming that she was protecting me from an incident that had happened to her daughter. I could see my boundary being crossed as she continued. But, to avoid being labelled as bad-mannered, I went along for about 15 minutes, nodding quietly throughout the conversation.
Time does not matter for some people. Such kind of people is just concerned about getting their message across. Trying to argue with them that their own experience cannot do much, in my case, would waste more time, leaving them uncomfortable.
People breach privacy everywhere. I often share texts with the person sitting next to me in a taxi. How fast they look elsewhere is priceless. That is a major breach of privacy.
The word 'privacy or private' is commonly used when discussing online data security. The term is pervasively used in the west, where individuality is most recognized and celebrated.
In a country like Ethiopia, where socially networked cultures evolved, privacy is usually breached in the name of caring for others. There are demanding times when detailed information is worth sharing, but too much sniffing around personal information is nothing but breeds gossip. Learning to respect one's boundaries and respecting others' privacy is a lesson we all should learn.
PUBLISHED ON
Nov 12,2022 [ VOL
23 , NO
1176]
Editorial | Nov 19,2022
Viewpoints | May 15,2021
Commentaries | Feb 05,2022
My Opinion | Mar 30,2019
View From Arada | Feb 10,2024
Fortune News | Aug 13,2022
Fortune News | Jan 05,2020
Editorial | Jun 10,2023
My Opinion | Aug 16,2020
Sunday with Eden | Apr 11,2020
Photo Gallery | 97224 Views | May 06,2019
Photo Gallery | 89446 Views | Apr 26,2019
My Opinion | 67321 Views | Aug 14,2021
Commentaries | 65807 Views | Oct 02,2021
Feb 24 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
Abel Yeshitila, a real estate developer with a 12-year track record, finds himself unable to sell homes in his latest venture. Despite slash...
Feb 10 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
In his last week's address to Parliament, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) painted a picture of an economy...
Jan 7 , 2024
In the realm of international finance and diplomacy, few cities hold the distinction that Addis Abeba doe...
Sep 30 , 2023 . By AKSAH ITALO
On a chilly morning outside Ke'Geberew Market, Yeshi Chane, a 35-year-old mother cradling her seven-month-old baby, stands amidst the throng...
Apr 27 , 2024
The Prosperity Party (PP) - Prosperitians - is charting a course through treacherous...
Apr 20 , 2024
In a departure from its traditionally opaque practices, the National Bank of Ethiopia...
Apr 13 , 2024
In the hushed corridors of the legislative house on Lorenzo Te'azaz Road (Arat Kilo)...
Apr 6 , 2024
In a rather unsettling turn of events, the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia (C...
Apr 28 , 2024
A dire situation unfolds across public universities, where students face the harsh re...
Apr 28 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
A European business lobby in Ethiopia issued a scathing review of the tax system last...
Apr 28 , 2024
The Federal Supreme Court has recently ruled in the prolonged commercial dispute surr...
Apr 28 , 2024 . By MUNIR SHEMSU
Transport authorities placed blame on driving schools and vehicle inspection centres...