I saw this story in the news today & thought I'll share it here:
By Dr James Dobson
The Loner
Some years ago I served as a school counsellor at a public high school, and one afternoon I saw a student named Manny in the hall who was crying uncontrollably. I invited him into my office, and he told me what was gnawing on his insides. Manny said, “In the whole world, I don’t have one friend. Not one. There’s not a person alive who cares whether I live or die. I don’t go to school parties or football games because there’s no one to go with. I don’t have anyone to even talk to, and sometimes, I think I can’t stand it anymore.”
A year later I was talking to the vice principal in charge of discipline at that high school, and he said, “Hey, do u remember a student named Manny that used to follow you around campus? Well, he did the strangest thing today. He’s never been a troublemaker, but another student said something insulting to him, and he picked up a knife and stabbed the boy. I wonder what would make a good kid do something like that, especially when he’s never seemed to have any big problems before?”
Well, Manny’s violent behavior fits a familiar pattern. How many times have you read about a loner, a quiet young man leaving in a neighbourhood who turns out to be a killer? In most of these cases, isolation and loneliness plays a role.
Human Beings are social creatures with great needs for acceptance and respect. In some particular vulnerable individuals, the failure to find a niche is not only uncomfortable, it can even be fatal.
By Dr James Dobson
The Loner
Some years ago I served as a school counsellor at a public high school, and one afternoon I saw a student named Manny in the hall who was crying uncontrollably. I invited him into my office, and he told me what was gnawing on his insides. Manny said, “In the whole world, I don’t have one friend. Not one. There’s not a person alive who cares whether I live or die. I don’t go to school parties or football games because there’s no one to go with. I don’t have anyone to even talk to, and sometimes, I think I can’t stand it anymore.”
A year later I was talking to the vice principal in charge of discipline at that high school, and he said, “Hey, do u remember a student named Manny that used to follow you around campus? Well, he did the strangest thing today. He’s never been a troublemaker, but another student said something insulting to him, and he picked up a knife and stabbed the boy. I wonder what would make a good kid do something like that, especially when he’s never seemed to have any big problems before?”
Well, Manny’s violent behavior fits a familiar pattern. How many times have you read about a loner, a quiet young man leaving in a neighbourhood who turns out to be a killer? In most of these cases, isolation and loneliness plays a role.
Human Beings are social creatures with great needs for acceptance and respect. In some particular vulnerable individuals, the failure to find a niche is not only uncomfortable, it can even be fatal.
