Once we have successfully learnt to efficiently practice verbal assertiveness, the next lesson comes in. In this article, we shall learn about our basic rights. In order to lead a flourishing life and to comfortably survive in harmony with other people, we need to be aware of the Bill of Assertive Rights that we have as independent individuals.
The many rights that constitute the Bill are as follows:
1. We have the right to be our own judge:
This means that we have the right to be the critic of our own behaviour, thoughts, and emotions, and to take the responsibility for their initiation and consequences upon ourselves.
2. We have the right to offer no excuses for our behaviour:
Everything that we do is solely our responsibility and therefore, we have the right to not give any reasons or excuses for justifying our actions.
3. We have the right to change our mind:
Nothing in this life is permanent, so how can anybody expect our decisions to be so? It is only fair if we are allowed to change our minds and then change them again. We do not have to stick to the choices that we make. We can change them because we have the right to do so.
4. We have the right to make mistakes:
Being mere mortals, we are definitely going to make mistakes, learn from them, and make sure to never repeat them. But, we cannot blame other people for the decisions that we take or the mistakes that we make. We should have the courage to take full responsibility of our mistakes and to accept the consequences. However, neither do these mistakes make us bad people and nor do they define us. They are simply lapses in judgement that we are fully allowed to make.
5. We have the right to say ‘I Don’t Know’:
No matter how knowledgeable a person is, nobody in this world is expected to have the answers to all the questions. We have the right to freely admit that there are things that we know nothing about.
6. We have the right to say ‘I Don’t care’:
We fully have the right to not care about certain things. For example- what opinions outsiders might have of us should not concern us much as we are the ultimate judges of our behaviour and character.
7. We have the right to decide whether or not we want to find the solutions to other people’s problems:
It depends entirely on us whether we want to help others find the solutions to their problems or not. We are not responsible for anything but our own problems, decisions, and mistakes.
8. We have the right to say NO:
The final and most important assertive right tells us that we have the right to say No without feeling guilty, that is, just because people want us to do something does not necessarily mean that we have to do it. We can always say No and not feel bad about it.
As individuals, we have the right to do everything mentioned above. The efficient practice of these rights helps us to have better interactions with other people and works wonders for our self-esteem. They, unfailingly, improve the quality of our lives and social statuses.