Social Beings

Human beings are social beings. I firmly believe that. Most of us want very much to connect with other human beings. But when we get that opportunity, we most often decide that we don't like what they said, or the way they said it, or the way they looked at me when I said that, or... whatever. We make very few real friends in our lives, despite wanting to. Why is that? What is it about us that makes us deny ourselves social bonding? We are so much alike, but we resist differences, and shy away from differences. Why? Why? It is a real puzzle to me.

I'm reviewing a book now that talks about resistances to change, and how people are most likely to change when they're confronted with people with different points of view and different ways of being. Maybe that's part of it.

But even in the same families where people "love" each other and live in very similar ways, tensions often run high between individuals in that family. Every little difference seems like a big difference. I want there to be quiet now. You want to listen to music. Now you want quiet, and now I want to hear music. Tension. People find it so very hard to get along with each other. And I really am amazed at that. I guess I shouldn't be. But I am.