Tunnel Vision

I think that human beings are naturally self-oriented, not necessarily because we are "evil," but because we aren't equipped to perceive the world through eyes other than our own. All of our senses are personal by their very nature, and it is only through extra imagination that we can guess what other people might be thinking and feeling.

I have to confess that as I interact with other people, they are never as real to me as I am to myself. The logical, conscious part of myself naturally recognizes that they are as "real" as I am (if I stop to think about it), but I don't think that it registers on a subconscious level. My thoughts and emotions will always be more real than theirs because I can't feel what they are feeling. On the other hand, my dreams, my secret insecurities, and my physical senses are an omnipresent reality whether I choose to think about them or not.

It is only natural, then, that how I perceive people is often based on how I think they perceive me. I like them if they seem to like me. I gravitate toward people who make me feel comfortable. I look up to people that have characteristics that I would like to see in myself.

All these people who I choose to "like" aren't necessarily more deserving of my respect and attention than other people. My regard for them is based largely on my regard for myself. I suspect that this is common - I like to think that I am as human as the next guy.