Letters to the Editor

• why misery loves company

  [Read the article: Why does misery love company?]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  because for those of us who feel things intensely (and we are well represented across all of humanity's groupings), we are desperate to know that we are not alone in not percieving life as completely pain-free or as modelled in an advertiser's wet dream

  because we obsess with omnipotence and being successful but know deep down that this brings different miseries with it, like for example the misery of being cash rich but time poor, or just the knowledge of the amount of energy we're going to have to expend, can itself drain us in an instant.

  because we are drawn to what is real in people, that which we and they rarely dare talk about with full openness.

  because being big enough to properly meditate on and digest your own feelings is in key measure what life demands of you. Your feelings are your rudder, too much pain is a sign to change direction, to tweak the parameters.

  We need to see or read about examples all the time, because we continuously forget that we've seen or read examples in the past.

  What do most people say when they are having a problem or experiencing a dilemna: "am I mad, or is this a legitimate source of grievance?". For many the self is a fantastically insecure and fragile creation, and we need to check, check, check with other people to re-inforce that that which naturally comes up for us, does not mean that we are despicable.

  If I feel it, I'm not stepping up, I should be over this kind of thing, if someone else feels it, hey perhaps I'm not so barmy after all.

  because we are psychological problem solvers and psychological insight hoarders and we are always ravenous for more data.

  because the messy and the dark is inherently fascinating. Jenny goes to the shops and buys a beautiful pair of shoes and comes home elated is not as interesting as Jenny goes to the shops, is hit by a truck and is fighting for her life. Things look bad now, but 17 months later she has made a complete recovery and has re-assessed her priorities and no longer works for that asshole law firm where no one is allowed to feel anything etc...etc..she now works with the homeless, the dispossesed and the destitute..

  Permalink Tuesday, January 2, 2007 03:14 AM