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The Cowardly, The Brave And Us
We’re probably just different
Cowardly
Most of us are cowardly. We hide behind stereotypes for fear of discovering something we aren’t ready to embrace. We brandish pleasantries because it would be too much effort to customise our next human interaction. We ask innocuous questions and don’t bother to store insipid answers.
Brave
Some us are brave. We accept the impossibility of knowing everything about everyone while intending to discover more about those around us. We care about those who care and believe that the next person we come across could be special. We ask compelling questions and remember meaningful responses.
Banality
I have always struggled with banality. This is something that often makes one appear extraordinarily intense. However, I have realised that the exhaustion that chit-chat has on me is comparable to what purposeful conversation exacts on others. I have been mesmerised by people who swim gracefully around social gatherings, giving nothing away yet befriending everybody that crosses their path. They are my nemesis. Since we are probably incompatible, I haven’t got to know them very well; mostly, when I’ve tried to dig deeper, there’s been nothing to find — but I am biased. Conversely, I have seen others become isolated in…