constantly trying to see the inherent good in people is a humiliation ritual that i continue to willingly participate in
then you need to actually look. Complement somebody's outfit when you think it is cool. Ask what a stranger is reading. Stop to offer help when you see somebody struggling. Last week, I got fifteen strangers to complete hand hearts with me on a whim. Two days ago, I made six friends while running various errands.
I was walking home from work with a bag of posters. I saw somebody's bag break down the street. Without even thinking, I took the stuff out of mine and moved to give it to him, but somebody else beat me to it. I didn't even hesitate, they were just closer than I was. It ended up with me awkwardly offering a second bag in case he needed it, and the people who gave it first enthusiastically doubled up the bags while I stood there stunned that somebody else was like me.
I'm a part of four different volunteer-based community groups, and we keep having to designate more leaders because more and more beautiful, wonderful human beings keep deciding of their own free will that they want to contribute hours of their time to making their community better in exchange for nothing but self fulfillment. I have watched timid, mousy, bookish types bloom into passionate community leaders just because they tried, and the environment around them nurtured that. None of that could have happened if it weren't for multiple people making the choice to do the right thing because they cared.
Listen. I get it. I have Major Depressive Disorder and CPTSD. The world can be full of teeth. But the one thing that I've learned from more than a decade of trying to beat this fucked-up psychological tumor in my brain is that humans are, in fact, fundamentally beautiful- but the older they get, the more frightened they are of showing that. It has to be you who reaches out. When you do, nine times out of ten, you will be met with love.
