Your Impact on Others
Reflect on how your behaviour lands on others — consider not just what you intended but what the actual impact was on the other person
What a learner can do afterwards
- Describe how something they said or did affected someone else — e.g. 'When I didn't include them, they looked upset'
- Predict what might happen before acting — e.g. 'If I take the last one without asking, they'll feel it's unfair'
- After a conflict, explain what they could have done differently and what effect that would have had
The lesson
You always know what you meant to do. But the other person only sees what actually happened. That gap is called impact. Even when you don't mean to hurt someone, your words or actions can still land in a way that stings.
Zara took the last orange slice without asking. She wasn't trying to be selfish, she was just hungry. But her friend Dev had been saving room for it. Dev felt like his feelings didn't matter, even though that was never Zara's plan.
Before you act, picture the other person for a second. Ask yourself, 'How might this feel to them?' A quick guess can help you avoid a mix-up later.
Milo left a classmate out of a game at recess. He didn't think about it much, he just wanted to play with his usual friends. Later he noticed the classmate sitting alone, looking down. Milo's intention wasn't to hurt anyone, but the impact was that his classmate felt forgotten.
After a mix-up, ask yourself two questions: what could I have done differently, and how would that have changed how the other person felt? Looking back this way helps you do better next time, without dwelling on blame.
What you meant matters less than what the other person actually felt, so pause to think about their side before and after you act.
Watch it
Where it sits
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.