“Do not expect yourself from people…”

Is something I have heard often.
It means, do not be saddened,
When someone does something (negative)
To you,
That you would never have done to them.

Or,
If someone does not do something (positive)
To or for you,
That you would have done, to or for them.

It is easy to relate to this,
When you see yourself
As the “yourself” of the conversation.

However, what then when you are “people“?

How often are you the “people” of the conversation?
Possibly,
As often as you are “yourself”?
What if it’s more?
And what then?

The truth is,
Sometimes you are the “yourself”
And, sometimes, you are the “people”.
But, you are always yourself…
The same way that everyone is always themselves.

But,
Does this mean that,
You should then be less of “yourself”
To shield yourself from when people “people”?
Surely not.

^{*I wrote this on a day when I was deeply saddened by someone’s actions towards me. I quickly found myself thinking “If the roles were reversed, I would have…”. And then I realised that I had no idea how often someone felt this way because of me. I have no idea how often I have hurt someone unintentionally and they have thought to themselves “If the roles were reversed, I would never have… And in that moment, I remembered that we are all just trying to figure this life thing out. Most of us have no idea how often we are the “people” of the conversation.}

Love always,

Ndapewoshali