Log 3

Managing interpersonal relationships might always be a topic worth pondering. It’s profound and philosophical, and this was my biggest takeaway after reading this book.

The main character, Greg, often focuses on his own needs, putting himself first and not considering his friends' feelings. At times, he feels jealous when his friends make new connections or receive lots of affection from their families, which makes him feel uneasy and left out. However, he doesn't self-reflect or try to improve. This reminds me of myself, but in the opposite way. I tend to care too much about others' feelings and constantly worry about how others perceive me or any situation. Sometimes, I might also feel jealous of my friends’ qualities and happiness. But after some self-reflection, I realize that I also have my own strengths and am surrounded by love and care. I have wonderful friends, and I feel lucky to have them. This process of self-reflection could be a way to heal myself.

Moreover, in the book, there’s a part where they try to work together to earn some extra money, but their cooperation fails due to uneven workload distribution. Collaboration is also a skill. In my current school and club activities, I deeply understand that good teamwork can make things much easier, while poor teamwork can make things much harder. I believe the main issue is communication. We need to communicate even more with those close to us. Often, we assume that those close to us understand our thoughts, but we forget that if we don’t express ourselves, no one will truly know what we think. Maybe in the book, Greg's friends could have tried discussing the division of work with him, helping Greg reflect on himself and allowing their collaboration to go more smoothly.

Although this friendship experienced many ups and downs, fortunately, both of them cherished their relationship. Greg's friend's kindness and tolerance kept him from giving up on their friendship. Perhaps this is the fascinating part of interpersonal relationships. After constant adjustments, the bond can become even stronger.