What is the worst thing that you can do to a fellow human being?
A lot of things come to mind. Theft, murder, rape... the usual things that dominate our new headlines, both in the print and electronic media. But, what if I say no?
Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that these things aren't bad. In fact they are the worst aspects of humanity, if it still exists.
But, i was hit by a realization this evening. The above are few of the worst things a person can do to another, but there is something worse by far and to my mind, the worst.
To make someone (especially someone you know, care for and/or love, or someone who does the same to you) beg for something that they desperately need. Think about it. That is something, that would utterly and completely, crush a persons' self-esteem, their confidence and most importantly the ability to put their trust in someone.
You don't need to kill someone to end their life. Just make them beg and you'll make sure that they stop living.
And its not even the kind of begging that one witnesses day in and day out on the roads, street corners and traffic signals of our great country. You know, the kind that one would resort to in extreme poverty, or the kind that people are forced into as part of an underground syndicated business. What i'm talking about here are the simple things, making someone beg for a few more minutes of your company, begging for a second chance, begging for a chance to meet you, one last time, for a job, for a chance to make a difference, for a chance to be counted, for attention... ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
There is one other aspect to it though. The beggar is scarred for life, yes, but the one who causes the beggar to beg (pardon the expression) is turned into a self loathing shell of a human being, once they realize the effect that they have caused. Melodramatic, but true.
It takes time for the realization to kick in, but when it does... well you know, as they say, Karma is a b/7c#....
A lot of things come to mind. Theft, murder, rape... the usual things that dominate our new headlines, both in the print and electronic media. But, what if I say no?
Don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that these things aren't bad. In fact they are the worst aspects of humanity, if it still exists.
But, i was hit by a realization this evening. The above are few of the worst things a person can do to another, but there is something worse by far and to my mind, the worst.
To make someone (especially someone you know, care for and/or love, or someone who does the same to you) beg for something that they desperately need. Think about it. That is something, that would utterly and completely, crush a persons' self-esteem, their confidence and most importantly the ability to put their trust in someone.
You don't need to kill someone to end their life. Just make them beg and you'll make sure that they stop living.
And its not even the kind of begging that one witnesses day in and day out on the roads, street corners and traffic signals of our great country. You know, the kind that one would resort to in extreme poverty, or the kind that people are forced into as part of an underground syndicated business. What i'm talking about here are the simple things, making someone beg for a few more minutes of your company, begging for a second chance, begging for a chance to meet you, one last time, for a job, for a chance to make a difference, for a chance to be counted, for attention... ad infinitum, ad nauseum.
There is one other aspect to it though. The beggar is scarred for life, yes, but the one who causes the beggar to beg (pardon the expression) is turned into a self loathing shell of a human being, once they realize the effect that they have caused. Melodramatic, but true.
It takes time for the realization to kick in, but when it does... well you know, as they say, Karma is a b/7c#....
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