Monday, January 30, 2012

Challenge 70: "Hell is other people"

32. Sartre said, “Hell is other people,” while Streisand sang, “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” With whom do you agree? (Amherst)

First when I read this question, I thought the latter would definitely represent my views. But then, I thought again. Yes, we say that humans definitely cannot live alone in this world, without any family or friends. However, first, I think we need to know what hell is. According to religious books, hell is a place where people who are sinful go. They have wronged in this world and therefore, they must suffer in their afterlives. Contrary to heaven, hell makes us think of fire and devils and emotions like anger and pain and disappointed. However, where do all of these sins and negative feelings come from? Why do people get angry? Why do people feel pain?

I remember once when I had fought with a very close friend of mine. I had called my mom, crying and complaining that I didn't know what I had done wrong for things to end this way. My mother comforted me and said that as kids, these things are going to happen. You are going to get into a fight with somebody not knowing what you have done to disappointment her. And that's why, she said, instead of keeping just a few really close friends, you need to have a wider circle of friends so that when you do get into a fight with one, it won't hurt as much because you aren't particularly close with her. That... made sense. If I didn't have close friends, then these words wouldn't sting. I wouldn't be bothered about what they've said because they don't mean so much to me. And if they didn't mean so much to me, I wouldn't let their words play with my emotions. I wouldn't let them hurt my feelings so that I became angry and pained.

Therefore, I agree with Sartre. The words speak the bitter truth. Hell is other people because of the relationship we share with them. They inflict upon us the pain, the disappointment, and ultimately, they would lead us to have black spots in our hearts, like seeking for revenge. If we don't have strong bonds with other people, then they bitter words would not effect our feelings or actions. 

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