Thought for the Week (27/08/12)

by Shireen Avasthi

I love humanity, but I hate people.                            

- Edna St. Vincent Millay 

This is a very special quote. This is because (in my opinion) everyone's interpretation of it will be different. A person's interpretation could be worlds apart from the person next to them's, or it could be uncannily similar.

My interpretation of this quote is that Millay is trying to say there is a distinction between the idea of humanity and the cold hard reality of humans: she is saying that she loves the idea of humanity; she loves the idea of people putting the well-being of another person before their own.

Sadly, people no longer abide by the rules of humanity (surely they must have done so at some point in history!), and due to this Millay has started to "hate" the human race. They have tarnished the name of humanity and run wild and high on selfishness.

I'm sure that a lot of people think that Millay's point of view is extreme, but the thought of people going about their buisness and not caring what happens to the other beings around them probably makes any lover of humanity cringe.

Would it hurt to try and be more aware of the people around you and the situation they're in? Probably not. So be more compassionate towards your fellow human beings this week. I'm certain you'll find it's worth the effort ;)