y'all ever wonder why people aren’t just like. nice to each other
I don’t think I’m an asshole. I try, sincerely try, to be a decent person.
But. I’ve noticed that on the relatively rare occasion when I literally have no deadlines, no schedule, no worries at all, that I am in fact just much kinder, more patient, and more helpful. When I have no stress on me, I become that guy who will miss his train to explain how the metro works. I will carry stuff for you. It’s just… I’m a better person when I’m entirely relaxed.
And I think maybe that’s across the board? That maybe we’re all low-key kinda stressed all the time, and that makes us more hurried, less inclined to help, less compassionate… simply more selfish and less caring.
Which doesn’t mean “You’re stressed and that makes you EVIL!!!!”. I don’t think people are necessarily like that. But maybe we just have less kindness to share when we’re like that. Maybe you’re normally a saint and the crushing weight makes you just be pretty nice most of the time. Maybe you’d normally be sullen and angry, and it makes you into a huge asshole who actively makes things worse for everyone. Maybe it makes a big difference, maybe it makes a little one. I think maybe we have trouble being nice to each other because of that, though. Because we’re always rushed and worried and stressed out all the time.
Maybe that’s why the so-called friendliest countries are often the ones either with really good social safety nets (so less background radiation worry), or the ones that have culturally built-in de-stressing methods (so ways to keep a more even keel)…
