Dealing with Our Pain
I recently read a post on Tumblr that said that 'There are two kinds of people: those who think, "I don't want anyone to suffer like I did," and those who think "I suffered, why shouldn't they?"' I found myself really struck by that sentiment. I'd never thought of it that way. But it explains a lot. I'm one of the 'I don't want anyone to suffer like I did' variety. I had a horrible childhood. Despite being a straight, white, able-bodied cis male, I was constantly the subject of scorn and derision. My classmates constantly bullied me, because I didn't dress the way they did. I didn't act like they did. I was smarter than they were. And it sucked. Anyone who says 'Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me' has clearly never been the subject of constant exclusion and ridicule by their peers. Humans, as social animals, need to be accepted. Words will, in fact, hurt far more than sticks or sto...