DAY 20 – BASIC REQUIREMENT: HARMONIOUS INTERACTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS

While on vacation in a major city of one million people in a foreign country I began walking around the town. I wanted to see how the citizens of this country interacted compared to my fellow countrymen. It soon became obvious that while human interactions and relationships vary in substance as well as in depth depending upon the individual people involved and the circumstances at hand, people everywhere find it more pleasant when they get along with their fellow human beings.

The world is made up of billions of human beings with everyone being a complete stranger to one another until an initial interaction occurs at which point a new and unique set of dynamics unfolds. Everyone’s interactions can run the gamut from seeing someone in passing, those who we have a brief conversation with and never see again, people who we occasionally meet, those who we work with for a period of time and lose contact with afterwards, neighbors who we talk to and those special people who we care about and have a meaningful and long lasting relationship with. In each case, human interactions are a daily occurrence and a significant part of everyone’s life.

There are common aspects to all interactions and relationships. The first one is that there is a beginning and an end to each and every one of them. What happens from the first moment two people cross paths to the last second they go their separate ways determines whether an individual interaction or a long term relationship has a harmonious or disharmonious tone to them.

In every situation and with every person we come in contact with harmony is required for the people involved to come away with a sense of satisfaction and positive feelings. Inconsideration, arguments and physical altercations do not lend themselves to such a state of mind and feelings. A better life and better world is contingent upon treating one another with kindness, consideration and respect, whether they are the people we love or a stranger in passing.

The people we love, family members and close friends fill our hearts with joy. They are the ones we think about more than anyone else. They are the ones we want to spend more time with and devote ourselves to. The type of individual interactions that have accumulated over time with those we hold so dear plays an enormous role in how the relationship develops over time.

In every relationship there is a series of interactions that both people are part of. Whenever two people come together, such as a child with his or her parents, spouses, people dating, friends, co-workers or neighbors, each encounter can be considered a separate and unique event. While most individual interactions with the people we spend more time with go smoothly and both people find it to their liking, some individual interactions may turn unpleasant with harsh words spoken or violent actions undertaken.

Every human being expects to be treated with dignity and respect no matter who they are interacting with. The verbal abuse of being yelled at, cursed at or demeaned does nothing but make the object of such abuse upset and disheartened. Having someone lie will shatter the trust that has been built up. Being physically or sexually assaulted will instill fear for the individual who inflicts such pain. Instead of being the recipient of behavior that inflicts distress and tears away at the inner core of the person who experiences it there is a universal human desire to be treated in a manner that is psychologically and emotionally uplifting.

When I got back to my hotel room after spending hours observing people I now realize that I need to show everyone kindness, consideration and respect. Having harmonious interactions and relationships with my fellow human beings is an essential component for a better life and better world.