It is difficult to understand what it is to live in another person's particular life unless one has walked through the same or similar experiences. One may listen to get an idea, but that's about as far across the ocean that particular crow can fly, know what I mean? That's how life is. This isn't a revelation. Most of us know this to be true on an intellectual level. Most of us can regurgitate this statement in some form or fashion if we must.
And yet....
I find it interesting how people, when speaking to one another about life and all its quirks, can say something to the effect of, "I know I can't really understand what it's like to be you, I've never been in your situation, I've never been handicapped/been a P.O.W./had an alcoholic parent/lived under a fascist regime/had to fight off a badger and been left with hooks for hands"...whatever the case may be, they can confess that they know nothing of what that situation must be like, they'll even state flat out that they don't possess all of the facts, and then in the next breath, they have the audacity to launch into what THEY think YOU ought to do about YOUR situation. You know, the one that they don't understand and don't even have all the facts on. Yeah, that one.
And then, rather than listen and maybe try to, I don't know, learn a little something, develop some understanding, or even just garner a few facts, they hang up on you.
That's frustrating.
No comments:
Post a Comment