# The things we don’t have to agree on

> Persuasive writing guides understanding without demanding agreement, as a professor reflects on class lessons.
- Title: The things we don’t have to agree on · Malay Mail | Shortify
- Summary: Persuasive writing guides understanding without demanding agreement, as a professor reflects on class lessons.
- Keywords: persuasive writing, universiti malaya, ma publishing studies, nahrizul adib kadri, biomedical engineering, um press, tuanku bahiyah residential college, writing techniques, communication strategies, storytelling, Malay Mail
- Source: Malay Mail — https://malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2026/11/10/the-things-we-dont-have-to-agree-on-nahrizul-adib-kadri/242640
- Published: 2026-11-10T09:07:09+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: persuasive writing, universiti malaya, ma publishing studies, nahrizul adib kadri, biomedical engineering, um press, tuanku bahiyah residential college, writing techniques, communication strategies, storytelling, news, world
## Class experience at Universiti Malaya
The author attended a persuasive writing session at Universiti Malaya, initially expecting to dislike it.
## Reluctance to engage with persuasive writing
The author associated persuasive writing with manipulation and felt uncomfortable imposing beliefs on others.
## AIDA marketing principle connection
The author recognized parallels between persuasive writing and AIDA, the marketing principle of attention, interest, desire and action.
## Storytelling without persuasion
The author writes stories that allow meaning to emerge naturally rather than imposing conclusions.
## Mother's gold bracelet story
The author shared a story about his mother pawning her gold bracelet for RM500 to help with university costs.
## Word associations shape expectations
The author explained how words like 'ambitious' or 'traditional' create premature expectations in people's minds.
## Revised understanding of persuasion
The author concluded that writing can guide understanding without requiring agreement with the writer's interpretation.
## C’est la vie reflection
The author ended the class with a note saying 'C’est la vie!' after finding the lesson more interesting than expected.
## Nahrizul Adib Kadri's background
Nahrizul Adib Kadri is a professor of biomedical engineering at Universiti Malaya and director of UM Press.
## Key takeaway

Writing can shape how people interpret experiences without requiring them to agree with the writer's perspective.