Who am I to disagree?
“The thing that I hate,” said this person, apropos of nothing, “is feeling pitied. I think you’re so strong, and so brave. I really hate it, though, when people start looking at me with pity.” OOOOK. As mentioned, that came out of nowhere, and I decided that it would kill that conversation. I’ve been thinking about it since, and it became important to understand both the statement and its intent. Pity means to feel sadness for someone else’s difficult situation. The other meanings include disappointment ( it’s a pity that... ) and to do something for someone because you feel sorry for them. We all know people who go out seeking pity. We call them victims , we sometimes think of them as weak, especially when they seem to keep falling into the same rut. But pity is not a weak emotion, and it can lead to some strong actions. Not, I must emphasize, in the form described by the Austrian dramatist, Nestroy. A very rich man sees a starving beggar on top of the stairs leading t