Aim: To Have Humility

I remember noting a few years ago that cringing on someone’s behalf is my least favourite feeling. I suppose this kind of feeling is similar to becoming uncomfortable on someone else’s behalf. Where cringing on someone’s behalf will include feeling a bit red-cheeked (literally or metaphorically) at someone acting a bit foolish (intentionally or unintentionally), feeling uncomfortable on someone’s behalf is using someone's personal situation to feel embarrassed.

I actually think it's unfair that I take it upon myself to feel these feelings. I am surely being selfish by using someone else’s misfortune or situation to feel my own sense of embarrassment. If someone digs themselves deeper and deeper (so long as it is somewhat innocent), who am I to feel uncomfortable? And who am I to feel some level of humiliation on someone's behalf when they are in a terribly sad position? Of course I don't mean it in this way, but it doesn't mean I should feel this, and I definitely shouldn't note just how embarrassed I am.

At school, when someone would maybe be talking in class and the teacher would ask them a question related to the subject and they wouldn't be able to answer, becoming flustered in the process, I would take on their embarrassment too. It's not the worst thing in the world but I know if I made someone uncomfortable through something I was doing, I'd be slightly upset because I wouldn't have intended to make anyone uncomfortable. Naturally the student talking in class shouldn't have been but it's unfair a little on them and on me too to feel uncomfortable about something so unrelated to me. 

I become unbearably uncomfortable when it comes to passing homeless people. Although I am aware I mean no malice in this (hopefully it would never come across that way), I really don’t think it’s my place to feel this way. There is a homeless person in town that I used to see a lot but I know go into town a different way because it makes me so sad and it does make me uncomfortable. Although I don't think I'm wrong to avoid them (I think it's wrong to be ignorant to homeless people though), homeless people are people. Naturally.  And I think this is why I am uncomfortable. I don’t know how I should act. Do they want me to smile at them? Do they want me to pass them by like I would other people. Of course it varies from person to person, I just think I should channel my discomfort into something else someplace elsewhere.

What with it being Christmastime and all, especially when it comes to situations like the latter, we need to have a little more humility. I shouldn't take on anyone's misfortune as my own in such a self-important way. Instead of channelling my discomfort about homeless people into embarrassment, I should look into the charities  that help them and although I cannot donate right now, I should promote them (go and check out Crisis).

My aim for Christmas and for all of the days afterwards is to live with much more humility.

Meaning Well & Doing Good,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

I am taking part in Blogmas and you can read about that HERE!