War

[BlueLily]

I recently watched an animated film called 'Grave of the Fireflies'. (Spoilers ahead) It follows two children who lose their parents during World War II and eventually die from starvation. I couldn’t stop crying while watching it.

What struck me afterward was the realization that I was grieving for fictional characters while, at this very moment, countless real people, including children are suffering and dying because of wars happening somewhere in the world.

It made me wonder: have we become desensitized to suffering of war happening far away from us? Do we fail to truly feel these tragedies because they don’t directly affect our own lives? And should we feel guilty for enjoying a warm meal when so many people caught in war are starving?

It got me thinking, how little ordinary people can really do about wars driven by political conflict. While innocent people continue to suffer, it often feels like world leaders fail to take meaningful action to prevent it.

Blue

[white knight]

Hi BlueLily

What a top subject.

An extremely sensitive person I can relate. In fact up to 20% of humans have HSP Highly Sensitive Person. Plus those with mental illness often have extreme sensitivities so what can we do about that?

Actually the best remedy is to embrace it and look upon others with sympathy that they dont possess the deep feelings we have. You might be familiar of our poetry corner. This is where many poems by members are kept and it would be advantageous to read because such depth in poetry is a direct reflection of "feelings". In fact without my bipolar and especially Dysthymia, I wouldnt be able to write such poetry.

In my teenage years my most vivid memory is crying. I joined the RAAF at 17yo hoping I'd "harden up" I didnt and at 70yo still havent, thank God for that as I now couldnt do without my fragility.

Entertainer Stephen Fry (UK) once left a theatre in London unannounced and went missing. He'd boarded a ferry to Norway. He returned weeks later. It was an "episode". He said in a documentary "If ever I'm reincarnated I want to come back with my bipolar because, its part of me, I wouldnt know how to cope without it". 

But there is that downside of being "different", meaning being looked upon as immature or a sook or other description. Once you embrace your softer personality then you can judge others for their naive criticisms.

https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/staying-well/sensitive-beyond-reasonable/td-p/165991

https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/depression/highly-sensitive-people-hsp/td-p/480942

https://forums.beyondblue.org.au/t5/bb-social-zone/the-poetry-corner-post-your-poems-in-here/td-p/54...

TonyWK

[BlueLily]

Hi white night,

What an interesting angle. I had no idea about the HSP. Also very true about being 'different' and going to the overthinking category. If anything I also feel that I see things more clearly compared to some other people. Thank you for sharing your story and the insight links.

Blue

[therising]

Hi BlueLily

You are such a beautiful person with so many gifts, encompassed by the overall gift of sensitivity (aka 'the gift of being able to sense so much'). Such a gift can definitely feel like more of a curse at times until we learn how to master it. Can take a lifetime to master it to some degree.

• You have the gift of feeling, being able to feel so much and so deeply. It is the gift of those who feel injustice which pushes them to seek justice, of those who feel the need for compassion and therefor offer much needed compassion, of those who feel the need for guidance which pushes them to become great leaders for those in need of direction
• You have the gift of wonder, something not experienced by closed minded people. Those who have the gift of wonder question so much. The deepest forms of questioning often indicate a quest. Whether that quest is about greater forms of self understanding, a greater amount of understanding when it comes to human nature or it is about understanding something else, a great sense of wonder can create a thirst for knowledge
• You have the gift of vision or imagination, envisioning or imagining the sufferance of others while clearly seeing what would make a positive difference in this world. Combine feeling with seeing and we feel what it is we see in our mind. Together, such gifts must be managed so carefully. If we imagine only the worst, the worst is what we will feel. If we see the best way ahead, we will feel that way being full of possibility, full of inspiration, full of joyful outcomes

Imagine if great leaders like Martin Luther King Jr and Mother Theresa lost their gift of sensitivity that led them to feel, to wonder, to question and to imagine. They would never have worked so hard to create a different life for those who desperately needed a difference. Through their ability to sense both sufferance and the way forward, they achieved great things. The 'sensitivity' coin has both a bright side and a dark side. Without one or the other, it is not complete. A variation on the yin and yang factor.❤️

[BlueLily]

Hi therising,

It’s a very different way of looking at sensitivity -a gift. I’m not sure I’d ever thought about it that way before, but it really does help me see it in a more positive light and harness the power. If anything, it gives me the motivation to actually do something about it. The hard part, though, is facing the things that feel completely outside my control, yin and yang factor. But I guess even small actions matter, and collectively those small efforts can create real change.

Thank you for the kind words and the thoughtful, in-depth analysis. I suppose that’s what life is in many ways, full of possibility, full of inspiration, and full of joyful outcomes.

Blue

[therising]

Hi Blue

Not sure if you're much of a reader but I found an interesting read to be 'Sensitive Is The New Strong' by Anita Moorjani. ❤️