Hell is Other People

Trust someone to come up with such a statement.

We all have our demons, and perhaps the mark of a civilised society is one that cares enough to do something to help you, yet respect you enough to not pry into matters that are none of their concern.

I guess in matters to do with how we interact with our family, friends and colleagues, the best rule would be to ask ourselves why we do the things we do, or say the things we say.

Asking ourselves whether our words or actions will hurt more than heal refrains us from acting out of self-interest or other less than pure motivations. There is a reason why God forbids us from gossiping, putting in high on the list of things we shouldn't do. Gossip brings down friendships and families. It rocks solid foundations and obliterates unstable ones.

I recall a game I played as a child, where all the children had to sit in a line. The teacher would pass a message to one end, and each child was supposed to pass on the message to the next one. The message at the other end is always different from what it started as.

No matter how many times we played this game, it always had the same results - and that's before you factor in malicious intent, jealousy, greed, and personal vandettas, to name a few.

I've had to help friends deal with the trauma of such actions, as well as deal with some of my own. At times like this, when one is faced with something as out of our control has the intention of others, I recall advice from a dear friend: Whatever you do, do it with dignity.