humanity
For better or for worse, relationships reveal the core of the human condition.
The Fundamental Shift in the Definition of Community
When I was a kid my community was my family. My siblings, parents, grandparents. My aunts and uncles, cousins, and all that extended outward. Less a family tree, and more two very intricate and complicated mandalas that touched in only one point. My parents were married only briefly, and I was the only child produced. Both families have complicated histories, dark secrets, and uproarious laughter that is contagious, no matter what mood you are in. I love my family, and in many ways they are still my community, but as I have gotten older, I have drifted away in search of independence, and a place to find myself, and I have ended up roughly 3500 miles away from everyone save a scattered few that I share kinship with. When I was little, if I had a problem, I reached out to these people for love and comfort. For aid and succor. And while they didn't always deliver in ways that I expected, I never was left alone in my struggles. There was always someone, at least one person who would demonstrate compassion, and help me, even when the rest of them thought I was being a brat.
By Paige Graffunder7 years ago in Humans
Why I Moved To India
No matter where you are in the world people often will ask you where you live, it’s often a difficult question to answer. As the child of an expat it’s question that I honestly try to avoid, just simply because its hard to explain that I’m an Australian who up until I started university lived in India.
By Harie Calder7 years ago in Humans
Should I Be Polite or Sincere?
I would love people to be honest with me. Talk to me straight. At least I tell this to myself until someone decides to criticize me. When they do criticize, I think something along the lines of -—How rude is this person? No one asked for your opinion.
By Toni Koraza7 years ago in Humans
Whatever Happened to Empathy?
The most natural human emotion is love. Second to that is anger. Empathy sits somewhere in between and is just as important as the top two. As Daniel H. Pink said, "Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place."
By Emma Bayliss7 years ago in Humans
Anecdotes and Antidotes
The definition of Repose means "a state of rest, sleep, and tranquility." These are words that I am longing to feel consistently. I am a fighter without a doubt, whether it comes to fighting my own spirit that wants to hide from my health problems, inner struggles to stay quiet and inside, or just to walk outside and catch the sun to deal with my social anxiety. Social anxiety sufferers can empathize with me. Daily tasks take so much energy for us empaths and introverts. We seem to give away so much of our energy and others do not receive us and remain comfortably absent from our lives. Being a giver is isolating.
By SAYHERNAME Morgan Sankofa7 years ago in Humans
Let's Take a Gaze
Years ago, it seemed quite impossible at times to find happiness quite easily, but today I found out why these moments meant the world to me. True happiness is when there is no effort in smiling, when you can laugh at the smallest thing and know it’s okay, you don’t have to be sorry for eating a whole plate of food, or two donuts. But the story I’m about to tell you, the place I’m about to take you with my words will show you true happiness.
By Chyann Jane7 years ago in Humans
Your Voice Matters; Especially To Other People
I stand in a coffee shop. Unbranded, unattractive, unoriginal. It has no outward appeal, except that it's in a convenient spot on the high street. Attracting the masses. When in this particular coffee shop, I lay into my observancy. Being an art and political law student, trained to observe and analyse the world around me, I watch.
By Paige A'court7 years ago in Humans
Life Lesson
People talk about the temporary things in life all the time, but what about the things that are constant? Or the things that decipher us from children to adults? Somethings are never discussed until we get to be a certain age, but why? These lessons we learn in life are meant to lead us to the destination in which Earth believes is right for us. But sometimes we need to take a second to take in all the lessons and just see what makes us different then others in this world that is trying to uniform us. The questions and theories we discuss, and don’t discuss, lead us to the lessons we’re supposed to learn growing up, but what happens if we miss one along the road? What’s in store for us then?
By Chyann Jane7 years ago in Humans
