Patton Oswalt "To be Loved and Understood"

[NightTimeForever]

Patton Oswalt - "To Be Loved & Understood" - YouTube

So, one of my favorite comedians, Patton Oswalt, was featured in a special. It's not very long, close to 11 minutes, but after it I saw him as more than just a comedian. He seems depressed, lonely, obsessive (which implies some anxiousness if those obsessions are denied), and insecure, which he himself admits. Patton uses comedy as a coping mechanism, and goes on stage as often as he possibly can.

Anyway, one of his last lines in the video went something like "to be loved and understood is a fundamental human need." While the need to be loved might vary, I think feeling as if you are understood is an even more basic need, maybe because we see that as a prerequisite for the other, even if we aren't that crazy about love to begin with. Thoughts?

 

[UnofficiallyMe]

love and understanding go hand in hand.. you cannot know me, understand me, if you do not love me.. otherwise you only know things about me, or know my patterns..

I am more than patterns, more than this body

 

[NightTimeForever]

Hmm, thought this would have resonated with SAers in general.

 

[coyote]

i used to live in Irvine

 

[NightTimeForever]

Did ya, now?

 

[hexagon_sun]

Patton Oswalt - "To Be Loved & Understood" - YouTube

So, one of my favorite comedians, Patton Oswalt, was featured in a special. It's not very long, close to 11 minutes, but after it I saw him as more than just a comedian. He seems depressed, lonely, obsessive (which implies some anxiousness if those obsessions are denied), and insecure, which he himself admits. Patton uses comedy as a coping mechanism, and goes on stage as often as he possibly can.

Anyway, one of his last lines in the video went something like "to be loved and understood is a fundamental human need." While the need to be loved might vary, I think feeling as if you are understood is an even more basic need, maybe because we see that as a prerequisite for the other, even if we aren't that crazy about love to begin with. Thoughts?

I agree with statement that it is more important to be understood than loved. It's is at the core of what makes me feel valued/ validated as a human. Being loved and respected sort of follows anway. However, it's possible to love someone but not respect them or validate them (i.e. pitty). That to me is worse than being despised because your stuck in neutral and don't know where you stand.