THE HUMAN NET
If it was possible to take a sequence of images of instant human relationships or interactions, I think it would end up looking like a fishing net!
Human Interactions (My own inspiration)
We are constantly interacting with other people and producing effects on them. We exchange ideas, feelings, impressions and so on.
Each knot represents one of us. The strings joining each knot would represent all those messages that we share with others.
THE CONTENT OF AN INTERACTION
We all have feelings, self-concept, sense of proud, and that is also a huge part of what we give to others. But, at the same time, we also receive the same kind items from other people.
The fact is that what we receive from others might have enough power as to change or convert our present mood. So we could just get bad humor or even end up with a kind of crazy behavior, maybe without knowing why, and under that attitude, we would then interact with other people and this may also affect the way other people are feeling too. So, I've been thinking that, sometimes, it would in some sense become like kind of a chain or, perhaps, like a domino effect.
Some experiences in our lives also tend to behave that way. There are actions that bring consequences to ourselves, our families, our workmates, our society, and these at the same time become part of a chain that nobody knows where it's going to end.
A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
I used to be an alcohol abuser. This bad custom of mine brought not very good kind of consequences, not only to myself but to all people around me and I couldn't really tell how far would these consequences go. By that time it was like an earthquake, in which I was the epicenter. I couldn't really say how far the wave would end, nor what kind of damage it would cause.
Since I found help and could stop that nightmare, I have had the opportunity to help others an I hope that this new wave in some way, could compensate the previous one.
Normally I love to help people with broken cars aside from the road. I travel with a toolbox and in case I can't fix the car, I also carry a towing rope. Most people ask me how can they pay me my helping. I always tell them: "If you can do the same thing or any other favor to somebody else in the future I think I'll consider myself very well paid". Would it be possible that the domino effect I began in that particular day would somehow make me receive any favor in the future...?
CHECKING THE NET
I have concluded that in my personal case, I have to check my interactions constantly. I have to build a good net.
First of all, I must analyze what I receive from others and try, just try, not to change my good mood into a bad one. On the other hand, I also try to keep others good mood by means of the way I treat them. Please note that I have written the word "try".
Many people think that this behavior has no sense. I always tell them that when I am driving my car, I normally lose control when another driver makes a mistake. I get angry and shout at the other driver, and he does the same to me. From that moment on a bad "mood" could spreads from that driver and from myself. It will affect my family, the man in the gas station, another driver, the son of the other driver, maybe his wife, another additional driver... and these, I call "MULTIPLYING EFFECT" IN FEELINGS (which also happens in the economy with the money).
Just in case you haven't seen it, I dare to recommend to the reader the movie "Pay It Forward", with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, Haley Joel Osment, and Jon Bon Jovi among other actors. It is a Warner Bros film of Mimi Leder based on the writings of Catherine Ryan Hyde.
This way of analyzing things has helped me to be conscious of the consequences of my actions, although everybody is responsible for their own acts. When I mistreat someone I might involve some innocent people that has nothing to do with a particular situation. I realize that it doesn't cost me anything to try to be kind to others. But please read it well, I said: "try".