Ian Logan

UWRT 1102-010
Dr. Rand
2/16/2015
Conflict Analysis

Overcoming Fear of the Future

Day in and day out, people face conflicts. At times, some have lasting impacts while
others affect only the short term. Decisions are conflicts; after all, when people come to a fork in
the road, they must decide which path to take. Choices people make in their lifetime range from
what clothes to wear for the day and what time to do activities to what college to attend and what
job to take. People constantly have to decide between alternatives. However, sometimes people
choose door number three. Instead of choosing between one of the alternatives, they choose
neither of the options as they cannot predict what will happen and they are scared of what the
future will hold. What causes people to do this?
As the weekend rolled around again, time was a luxury I possessed plenty of. The
University of North Carolina at Charlotte does not offer many classes on Friday. As a result,
many of the students, including myself, always have an extended weekend. In addition, as a
freshman with easier classes, I did not have much homework to complete on that particular
weekend. Despite this, however, I had no idea what would take place; on that day, the most
amazing thing happened to me.

As this particular Saturday began winding down, I had to decide what kind of food I
would eat for dinner. Around dinnertime, I walked into Moore Hall with Rohan and we almost
ran into another friend of ours, Parker. After the usual introductions, he asked where we were
heading off to for dinner.
Im not sure. Where are you going? I responded.
Parker asked, Do you guys want to go to Toyamas?
Toyamas? Whats that? Rohan and I asked. Personally, I was leery of going to a new place I
had never visited before.
Oh, its an amazing place. Its a hibachi place where you get served a ton of food for about six
or seven bucks, Parker replied, a slight twinkle entering his eye as he spoke. I could tell he
especially liked this particular restaurant.
Still unsure if I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone and try a new place which could either
be a hit or miss, I began showing signs of doubt.
Parker then chimed in, Ill drive.
At this, Rohan immediately agreed to check it out. I also reluctantly went along. As we began
travelling to this Toyamas, I started regretting my decision the whole way there.
Looking back, I initially disliked the idea of trying a new restaurant because of the
information I knew at that specific point in time. During my decision process, I knew nothing of
Toyamas or what they offered besides the information Parker told me. I am a picky eater and
foods must pass rigorous testing in order for me to consume them. As a result, I was skeptical of
trying a new place where I could potentially dislike its food very much; I was perfectly content
going to a restaurant I already knew in order to stay inside my comfort zone. During this whole
process, I looked at the situation from a personal, selfish perspective. I wanted to eat something

that I, personally, wanted. I was not originally willing to go against this initial thought. In the
end, however, I agreed to go along with my friends. In that moment, eating in the company of
friends at an unknown restaurant outweighed eating alone at a place I already knew.
On the other hand, Rohan reacted completely opposite of me. Although I do not know
exactly what went through his head, his external expressions showed that it took little to
convince him. He may have been hesitant at first, even after Parker explained the type of food
Toyamas served. However, after Parker said, Ill drive. Rohan was sold and decided to go
along with him and give Toyamas a shot. Parker, on a similar note, knew full well what to
expect; he also had a positive perspective on Toyamas. Since he had previously eaten there,
Parker knew exactly what awaited him and expected Toyamas to maintain its previously set
standard.
Why did I leave food I was comfortable with to try a new restaurant I knew nothing of? I
asked myself during the trip.
Why did I agree to come along?
I began to wrestle with these questions in my mind over and over again.
Personally, I am picky about what kinds of food I consume. In order to try new things, the
sustenance must pass three tests. Initially, the food must have an appetizing look. If something
looks disgusting, weird, different, or odd, I will probably not eat it. Complementing that test,
food must also have an appealing texture. If I take a piece of food and place it on my tongue, the
feeling my brain perceives of what comprises the outer shell of this food must be at least semipleasing or I immediately decide I do not like it. On top of those stipulations, food must have a
pleasing taste. If, after biting into something, it tastes displeasing or gross, I will have a very
difficult time eating it. If an item of food does not pass all three of these tests, I will be hesitant to

try it. As a result, I am wary of venturing into unknown territory and checking out new
restaurants and foods. Despite all of this, we continued travelling to our destination and I
constantly second guessed my decision to try this mysterious Toyamas.
When we arrived and entered the restaurant, I began looking around inquisitively. The
restaurant was not very large; it could hold roughly 40-50 people. The majority of the staff were
of Asian descent and the menu gave the restaurant the appearance that it had been around for a
handful of years. As I began to study the menu, my eyes were drawn towards the hibachi
chicken.
When my focus shifted to this string of words, I thought, Hibachi chicken. Its chicken; I like
chicken.
As the cashier called for the next person in line, I began walking, somewhat hesitantly, towards
the register.
Hello sir, what can I get for you today? the cashier asked me.
UhI guess let me go with the hibachi chicken, I responded, not 100% sure of my decision.
Anything else for you today?
And a drink too, please.
Alright, that will be $7.23, he replied and I began rummaging around in my wallet.
After paying, I received my drink cup and proceeded over to the drink machine and then
onto the table. Shortly thereafter, as my food camechicken, rice, carrots, and white sauceI
began to have hope. This platter of food looked similar to that served in a restaurant I had
previously been to and absolutely adored. As I began eating the meal, I immediately understood
why Parker enjoyed eating at this place. The chicken and fried rice were well cooked; and the
white sauce added additional taste. My tongue told my brain this sauce tasted sweet and savory.

This sauce made the whole meal taste extremely better. After barely finishing all of the food on
my plate, I leaned back and let out a long sigh. Mentally I decided that Toyamas was my new
favorite restaurant.
As I continued to go back to Toyamas and consumed their food, my perspective did not
initially change. However, as time went on, my taste for it has died down. Now, I do still enjoy
eating Toyamas food, but I am ready for a new favorite restaurant as my preferences have
changed. I do not find as much satisfaction in that restaurant as I previously did.
Looking back, my struggle to decide to try the food served at Toyamas was shaped by my
fear of the future. I did not know whether I would love or hate Toyamas. I went with the worst
case scenario and assumed I would never want to go back to that restaurant. I did not want to
later regret my decision to try Toyamas. Instead of focusing on the potential positive benefits
from trying a new restaurant, I focused solely on the negative. As a result I had a doubtful
perspective on Toyamas.
In short, when Parker first asked if Rohan and I wanted to go to Toyamas, I had no idea I
would find my new favorite restaurant. Usually, I am hesitant to try new foods and hold them to
rigorous testing before consumption. Had I known how much I would enjoy the food at
Toyamas, I would have been enthusiastic to try it out. Nonetheless, this story illustrates that new,
enjoyable things lie outside of our comfort zones just waiting for us to find them. Even though
humans are creatures of habit and we like to stay inside our comfort zones, new knowledge and
skills con only come from trying new things. Despite this, some people do not like to venture out
of their routine because they are afraid they will be worse off than they were previously. Granted,
that is a possibility. I could have just as easily disliked Toyamas and never wanted to go back.
However, people will never know if they like something or not until they try it. I would have

never liked Toyamas had I not eaten there. Nevertheless, I decided to eat with friends and took a
chance that I may enjoy Toyamas. I overcame my fear of the future, broke out of my comfort
zone, and found a new favorite restaurant.