Hw 52: My initial Theory of Human Relationships

A line I've been pretty obsessed with and have brought up to many people during the past month is one from the play No exit, where one of the three characters states "hell is other people."

I think the reason that line has stuck with me so long is because its true; a bad expereince with another person can make life feel like hell. But I think that the only reason hell could be other people is becuse we need other people so much. At one point I said heaven could be other people too, but I beleive that less then the original statement. Other people have a great impact on us because without them we would  become so lonely it would probably lead to depression. But I also think that its easier to make youself happy due to your own accomplishments rather then relying on another for happiness.

But then again, sometimes certain individuals just need to escape from other people. Like Christopher Johnson McCandless, the college graduate who hitchhiked to Alaska after abandoning his materialistic life for one "In the Wild". He was eventually found dead, but not before fulfulling his dream of living solely by his own will and free nature. He is considered to have the aspirations of a Transcendentalist, a topic we're covering in english class. Its covenient that a lot of our units coincide nicely with one another.


What I prefer is when people treat each other like equals. Without mutual respect, a disagreement is bound to break out. If individuals saw their peers more as their equals rather then superiors or inferior, then they would be less concerned with how they SHOULD interact with a person, and act more like their natural selves. But thinkgs like age, ethnicity and social background effects how a relationship can unfold. If someone is diffrent from ourselves, its harder to warm up to them because you have less in common. But then again, just because an outter appearance may look different doesn't mean the qualities in side the person would be the same.

Its awkward and at times tense to meet new people. One never knows how well they'll interact, and even if the first impression is good it may just be a front of acting on our best behavior. Relationships with other humans don't seem to really develop until a lot of time is spent with that same person.

I myself am prone to forming close and personal relationships with my friends, that intale late night phone calls, weekend hang outs and lots and lots of facebook albums together. But looking back, I sometimes think this may have been a mistake. For even though I am labled as a sincere and trustworthy, I sometimes resent the people who put so much emphasis on out friendship. Its hard to be there for another person when your trying to thin about yourself. Its different with a parent, because they choose to devote their lives to the child they are raising. But what exactly do friendships entail? How close is too close, and when is one friend asking for too much?

Although when it comes to lovers, the rules are different. When two people become intamite with each other, they begin to unravel themsevles and put down walls they may have had with the rest of the world. And yet when you break up witha boyfriend or girlfriend, it usually means no longer being in contact. Why must the two parties cease communication post breakup? Why is it harder for ex lovers to stay together when they were so close for so long? Isn't it possible to just merge into friendships, or is it too emotionally painful?

Relationships with strangers never seem to matter as much, even though the people who make up our surroundiungs may impact our lives more then we give them credit. Like the mail man, or the dry cleaner or the cleaning lady or the coffee