our ever crumbling little empire.
you have no idea, then again i can't say i have much of an idea as well. we believe because we can look at it from the outside and watch your glass world crumble and know exactly what we would do in that situation because, well, were not in it. we are all so quick to judge on other peoples little empires.
i once saw an article on a politicians wife who decided to stay with him even though he had cheated on her and the scandal became public. she stayed with him out of love and with the willingness to forgive this atrocious behavior deep into a vow. and yet the comments that followed the article were perhaps worse than the acts committed. the people ripped her up, calling her weak, and not a real woman. how many of these people have walked in her shoes, had the years of committed relationship, or knew all the details. but because we sit perched high above it is so easy to summarize her life and feel we know best as for what she should do next for her and her children.
i do it to. when i see a homeless person i always want to know how they got there, what decisions did they make to end up there, if any. i assume that it had to do with a drinking or drug problem, and i look down at them and say 'well just quit!'. but i have never done heroin, and have no idea the death grip that it has on its subjects. i don't know there background, i don't know what mental capabilities they may or may not possess. it is so much easier to say 'get a job' then 'let me help you find one'.
next time you silently stare and assume, judge, and pass a verdict on another human take a second to create a backstory in your head. were they abused? perhaps that is one of the many reasons they ended up selling themselves on the side of the road. are they drunk out of their mind again tonight? perhaps there was a massive family tragedy in their lives and that is their only coping mechanism. instead of declaring them all helpless see if you can help.
i once saw an article on a politicians wife who decided to stay with him even though he had cheated on her and the scandal became public. she stayed with him out of love and with the willingness to forgive this atrocious behavior deep into a vow. and yet the comments that followed the article were perhaps worse than the acts committed. the people ripped her up, calling her weak, and not a real woman. how many of these people have walked in her shoes, had the years of committed relationship, or knew all the details. but because we sit perched high above it is so easy to summarize her life and feel we know best as for what she should do next for her and her children.
i do it to. when i see a homeless person i always want to know how they got there, what decisions did they make to end up there, if any. i assume that it had to do with a drinking or drug problem, and i look down at them and say 'well just quit!'. but i have never done heroin, and have no idea the death grip that it has on its subjects. i don't know there background, i don't know what mental capabilities they may or may not possess. it is so much easier to say 'get a job' then 'let me help you find one'.
next time you silently stare and assume, judge, and pass a verdict on another human take a second to create a backstory in your head. were they abused? perhaps that is one of the many reasons they ended up selling themselves on the side of the road. are they drunk out of their mind again tonight? perhaps there was a massive family tragedy in their lives and that is their only coping mechanism. instead of declaring them all helpless see if you can help.
Comments
kind of ironic, i was rambling along about a similar concept yesterday... and then this morning saw this post!
i find it fascinating that we as people put ourselves in a place that we assume what it's like, as if we are better than the person going through those troubles simply because we don't have them and therefore know how to put people back on track to not having them.
we've never been homeless, a drug addict, depressed, a cutter, or an alocholic.
so of course we know how to best help people out of it because we are and always have been out of it, right?
if only people didn't think that way...
i find that understanding that we don't understand puts us in the best position to help... and a lot closer to realizing and understanding what they're going through... just by simply acknowledging that we don't know.
even when you're the one going through something understanding that you don't understand puts you in good place.
just yesterda i was listening to augustana's "Boston" and wondering how many people i conversed with on a daily basis had 'chains' that no one knew about or understood...
and now i'm rambling on a comment, haha, i shall end this before it turns pages long!
truth. a hard truth, but true nonetheless.
It was one moment where, although we did think of all the stereotypes that come with seeing someone in need, we did something different about it, and I think this is the key, as you say. You challenge us to do something. At that moment, we could not help him find a job, but we helped to feed him for one meal. If we can all do something like this, I think we can move towards a better and friendlier understanding of the human condition.