respond to this post in your own words.
“’You can die from someone else’s misery – emotional states are as infectious as diseases. You may feel you are helping the drowning man, but you are only precipitating your own disaster. The unfortunate sometimes draw misfortune on themselves; they will also draw it on you. Associate with the happy and fortunate instead.’” (Collins, 2018, p. 16)
Chapter 2 of our text, Knowing Others, has been eye-opening for not just how to identify those around me, but how to identify those same characteristics in myself; and this is by the author’s design. It was interesting as I was reading through because there were moments I would introspectively say to myself, “That’s [so-and-so]! This description matches them perfectly!” Though, there were other moments when the realization dawned on me that I took after some of those same characteristics. However, I can honestly say that I mostly relate to the so-called rational self-interested individual, especially in recent years. But most importantly, I took comfort in hearing the words of the quote above. Life is so short already. There is no reason we should lose traction on our own lives for the sake of another who refuses to help themselves, or worse, is gluten for punishment, such as the victim identity mentioned in our text. Be yourself. Focus on yourself. Shoot for your aspirations and have the long-term goal in mind. Coming soon, when I get my initial post in for our Discussion #1 that talks on our chosen jurisdiction, you’ll find more about my chosen jurisdiction, Billings, Montana. That is my aspiration: Montana. My wife and I eagerly await the time we can afford the acres of land and the seven-figure home that rests atop it in the Big Sky Country. It will happen, but we won’t be able to get there by caving to the negative characteristics respective to the identities in our text, nor to the people around us that harbor these traits.