Simon Lin

"Being kind" is very vague, as compassion can take endless forms. It's also how you perceive it - one act of kindness seen by one may be seen as intrusion of privacy by another. On the other hand, we as human beings answer the call for selflessness mostly when the matter affects us directly/indirectly. We are selfish in nature; and because helping those who are "lonely, unloved, friendless, or depressed" takes a piece of ourselves in the process, whether we decide to make that sacrifice depends on our own personal circumstances and emotional/mental/physical capacity.

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The "majority" who chooses to "leave them" does so for various reasons. Some would rather not get involved because they've got too much going on in their lives, others have no sense of empathy or sympathy for the situation, and still others simply don't realize what's going on.

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Finally, sympathy only goes so far- it doesn't reach the full extent to which one can really understand what the other is going through. Words of encouragement can help and comfort them, but at no point in time does anyone have the right to say "I understand your pain" - because they don't. Nor does the next kind person that comes along. Or anybody else that claims they do. The hardships we go through are unique to us; and the choices we make throughout these times are what defines us. While others may have gone through a similar experience, they will still never be able to understand the circumstances like the victim does.

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Loneliness is not necessarily a bad thing either. Some actually prefer to be alone than with other people. But for the others that require a sense of belonging and love from people around them they need to understand that their moments in solitude provides them not with time to sulk but with time to think; it's the opportunity to reflect upon themselves and figure out who they are. Only with a sense of identity, even if it's just a little bit, can one go out and find genuine friends who stay with them for the right reasons. Some things don't change, but nothing stays constant.

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What solves our problems and how we go about doing so is up to us, but it is also our responsibility to put our pride aside and seek help from others when we need it because we're all human require some sort of support in making our decisions. So the next time someone doesn't step out of their way to help out a lonely person in solitude - remember that they're not obligated to do so.

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