Isolation

I was driving along the other day when I think I discovered something. I was watching how other drivers were so intent on their own little bubble of being that they were (on the whole) totally oblivious to the other road users - like the car waiting to pull out for, oh, forever. Or the car behind flashing its lights because the one in front's indicators were still flashing two miles down the road.

Then I realised it's not just drivers. It's just people. The guy in the queue in front of me dropped some cash on the floor, so I picked it up and tapped him on the shoulder, and, well, several taps later and a loudish "excuse me" and he finally acknowledges me.

Then there are the people that stand right in the doorway having a chat with a friend - totally oblivious to the hoards of other people all trying to squeeze through.

There are the people that insist on getting on the bus whilst people are trying to get off.

And so I have come to the conclusion that, it seems, most people do not see, or know, or care what goes on outside their little bubble. The rest of the world isn't real. The people walking by are just extras in the background of the film that's playing outside of their peripheral vision.

Now obviously I'm generalising - I know for the most part, we all live in our bubbles, and we all venture our consciousness outside of them occasionally, maybe even frequently. But my theory is people rarely pay the slightest bit of attention to other people unless it's likely to impact upon them, because they're totally wrapped up in their own little world.

I don't mean this to sound harsh. I'm not saying people are selfish, or self-centred. I'm just saying that, well, they don't know the guy that's been waiting to pull out of that side road for the last 5 minutes, and anyway, they're in a hurry themselves, and why should they be the one to slow down and give the guy a break? No one would bother doing it for them, right?

I invite your comments - because I personally would like to change the world. I would like to see more cooperation, more giving way, more consideration for others. Less being so wrapped up in our own worlds that we forget there are 6 billion other people out there too, all struggling day to day the same as we are - and that maybe, the next time you're waiting to pull out of that side road, the person that lets you out just read this the day before!