People really can be cruel. And a little dumb sometimes. Which… isn’t the best combination. And maybe that’s a little mean of me to say, but hear me out: All it does is breed hurt and hate. And the unfortunate part of that is that humans are particularly good at these things, and the internet has made it even easier to be cruel and hurtful because people don’t think – they just type. They don’t have to stand face-to-face with someone anymore – so they don’t have to see the damage that they’ve caused. There’s no real repercussions, because anonymity offers a shield from all of that.
This is why my circle is small. People – so many people – have proven time and again that they can’t or won’t think, or that they simply don’t care enough to do so. They hurt, and they hate, and sometimes they try to back-track after, and then they hurt and they hate some more, and they continue to feed into this cycle.
More often than not, I’d rather curl up with a good book than deal with most people, and that is why. Because people, by and large, have let me down. And the ones that I do keep close? They are my lifeline. My little shred of proof that there is good, kind people in the world. My little speck of hope that things can get better and that I can open up to people without fear.
But these kinds of people are hard to find… and that’s what makes me so sad. This ties into a theory I have. Let me explain:
When you’re reading a book, you generally have a couple elements you can guarantee:
- a protagonist – This is your main character. Your “good” guy. The one you’re rooting for. You’re usually following their journey as they work their way through something.
- a central conflict – Exactly as it sounds. Your protagonist may be minding their own business when along comes this ~problem. It can be any number of things, but the general idea is that this will be resolved by the end of the book.
- an antagonist – The anti-hero. Your bad guy. The main opposition to your protagonist’s progress.
These things are a constant. They’re there, with every book. And by the end, you might be smiling, or crying, or thinking differently about something you had a different opinion on before, but regardless, it affects you in some way.
And the funny part? A lot of authors put so much into their “bad” guy. These are, more often than not, super-complex characters with multi-layered motivations. And as much as we want to see the good guy win at the end of the day, readers across the globe will readily admit that the bad guy’s arc is just as important. Do they learn from their mistakes? Do we find out why they are the way they are? Do they find any kind of redemption at all? This is so important to us.
Why?
Well, because it’s a little spark of hope. See, if the fictional asshole can learn from their mistakes, if they can grow as a person, then perhaps the people we encounter in our real world have the capacity to do the same. Perhaps we can learn something from them. They can teach us. Each book is a chance at redemption, a look into a different world… and sometimes, we get lost in that because the real world is… well… a dumpster fire.
But maybe, just maybe, if we take a breath, if we learn to think before we speak – about what we’re saying, about how we’re saying it, about how it might make the other person feel, or how it might make us feel if someone were to say it to us – then maybe we can start putting out those fires and make the world a little more inviting.
Until then, I’ll stick with my small circle, my favorite book, and a nice cup of cocoa, because that is what I know I can count on.
[Shape]mine
[Head][LeLUTKA]Gaia
[Hair][Doux]Morning
[Body][The Shops]Legacy Mesh Body
[Skin/Head][The Skinnery]Chika (sorbet)
[Skin/Body][The Skinnery]Luna Body (fit) for Legacy (sorbet)
[Lips][GoreGlam]Fruitcake
[Bra][Tres Blah @ Collabor88]Mia Cardigan Bra
[Sweater][Vinyl]Senku Cardigan (Yellow)
Decor Bits
[Bed][Nutmeg @ Kustom9]Fairytale Twin Bed
[Frames(right)][Nutmeg]Rosy Corner Office Frames
[Frames(left)][Nutmeg]Sweet Things Frames (1)
[Tune][Khloe Rose – Fictional]
I Promise I Know What I'm Doing 