My English teacher got me thinking about this the other day. She said that we are the worst at telling people "I know how you feel" whenever something goes awry in their life.
The truth is, we don't. People (more often girls) say this in situations when another person talks about losing a parent, a pet, or a job. When someone fails an important exam, has their heart broken, or gets stood up. Yes, they certainly may have gone through a similar situation-type, but no, they aren't and didn't feel the pain and respond the same way. Loss, rejection, and hurt hit people different ways, and no one can truly ever mean the phrase "I know how you feel".
People probably think they will appear thoughtful and meaningful by saying those words, but in reality, I think it's selfish. They try to turn the conversation from the hurt being displayed by the person to their own personal experience.
So, next time, why don't we say "I cannot imagine what you're feeling, but I'm here to help you in any way", mkay?
My thoughts of the day :)
No comments:
Post a Comment