The Human Connection

I've started thinking a bit today about how humans use other humans. Some are very childish and selfish, essentially using their peers as toys. These people talk to others, but not in the sense that they are looking for good conversation or advice; they simply voice their thoughts, and because they recognize that humans are better than inanimate toys, they expect recognition of their declarations. This is where the appreciation of human life ends, however; there is no sense that they want to interact with other human beings on any deeper level. I wonder what people like this will do when their dolls get up out of the closet and move on with their lives.

Others seem to want other humans around for a sense of comfort and enjoyment, or nothing at all. I call these "teddy bear" people. They like to point out the cute or unique features of others, but they only do so if they feel entirely adored by those individuals. If others are not willing to hug and laugh and dance, actively and without any sense of concerted effort from the "teddy bear" person themselves, they are useless.

There are still others that I like to call "toolbox appointment" people. They want to know that someone who desires to spend time with them has both a purpose and a plan in mind. It doesn't matter if they want to see the person or not; if the purpose behind interaction is not made explicit, they feel as if they are wasting one person's or the other's time. This places a lot of responsibility on people like me, who often desire company for company's sake; the presence of other human beings is both calming and energizing to me, given different situations.

I'm not acknowledging much of this as right or wrong, and most people admittedly bridge the gap between different intentions for addressing other human beings. Additionally, the examples I've given are only a few of many that I can think of off the top of my head. I suppose it's just on my mind because I'm often concerned that I abuse my relationship with other people. I'm certainly not very mindful of the way in which I communicate. It's a problem.