Pretending Everything is Alright

 

            Social interaction is a normal part of everyday life. We see friends, we see relatives, we see acquaintances and neighbors make decisions that impact themselves and impact others. Sometimes those decisions are made for all the wrong reasons, oftentimes those decisions come from a foundation of selfishness and greed.

               Looking in from the outside, we can see that one of these people look back and regret the choices they have made, and see the consequences of those decisions. Aside from self-deception, those of us who are watching from a distance can see that these people are simply pretending like everything is good, alright, and acceptable.

               There are at least two responses to situations like this, one, we can be critical, we can be judgmental, and we can condemn them for being focused only on their own desires without concern for the impact of their decisions upon others. Two, we can remain silent and watch them decline into despair and regret, knowing that any words we offer will be rejected.

               The imagination is a terrible thing; everyone imagines a possible reality in which all of their problems disappear and are resolved by the promises that someone else made to them. Too many people think of themselves as flawless, wise, and on a path that will lead to happiness and fulfillment. The person who begins down a path toward an imaginary end, will one day realize that they made multiple bad choices, that they burned bridges that cannot be repaired with a goal of satisfying themselves while ignoring others.