8 Jan 2017
We crave connection.
Yet, we live in a world that is so scared of it. We shy away from eye contact with strangers, we keep on walking past homeless people, we aggressively protect our private spaces. We do our utmost to keep people out. London’s pointed fences perfectly illustrate this – not only are people kept off the property, but they also aren’t even allowed to sit on the boundary. It’s not just a ‘keep out!’ … it’s a ‘go away!’
Connection terrifies us because it makes us vulnerable. Looking into the eyes of another and being mirrored there means being open to being seen. So, we often choose the opposite – closing ourselves off in our isolated spaces, be they physical or mental.
But what would happen if, instead, we reached out and connected? What would happen if we decided to smile at a stranger or greet someone we don’t know? We would be choosing to open ourselves to connection, and thus the possibility of being hurt. But it is the only way to feel alive, as it is in this openness that we can be seen for who we are.
Photo credits: Ivan Sviatkovskyi