The Enemy of my Friend…
… Is your what? When someone wrongs or upsets a friend, what do you feel? Assuming you have significantly strong feelings for your friend - not just a casual acquaintance - it seems natural to me for one to also get upset or angry at the offending party. After all, they are the reason your friend is upset or hurt. Even if what they said or did had no direct affect upon you, to me it seems rather odd to say you’re indifferent to them, that you feel no ill will towards them. For example, say someone stood up your friend or lied to them or used them. True, you were not the one deceived or betrayed; but that they did it to someone you care about seems reason enough to at least dislike them.
Maintaining some objectivity or neutrality in a situation can be a good thing, but there are times when it’s nice to know you can rely on a friend to support you. And so, when someone tells me they don’t feel any ill will at all towards someone who’s hurt a friend I don’t understand, even more so when they later expect to be “backed up” when the tables are turned. Perhaps they really don’t care as much as they claim. Or perhaps they’re being selfish. Or I’m expecting too much from people.
I’m watching sharks on TV eat penguins and killer whales eat seals. And my first thought was, “I wonder what they taste like?”
Maintaining some objectivity or neutrality in a situation can be a good thing, but there are times when it’s nice to know you can rely on a friend to support you. And so, when someone tells me they don’t feel any ill will at all towards someone who’s hurt a friend I don’t understand, even more so when they later expect to be “backed up” when the tables are turned. Perhaps they really don’t care as much as they claim. Or perhaps they’re being selfish. Or I’m expecting too much from people.
I’m watching sharks on TV eat penguins and killer whales eat seals. And my first thought was, “I wonder what they taste like?”