tantaliseyourmind

So I recently saw this video:

then I started reading the comments. Many people saying how lovely it is to be complimented and most of these men are just being polite. And I get that I do, and I'm sure the majority are making innocuous remarks (because I have hope in humanity).

But I've been in numerous situations, usually on public transport where I'm confined, where strangers have initiated a conversation, in a seemingly harmless way and thus it seems rude if I ignore them but if I do respond, the conversation has often taken an insidious turn. What's more disturbing for me, is the this happened 10 fold more when I was in high school than now. And looking back I was clearly being preyed on, as I'm sure I appeared more vulnerable then than I do now. Especially as the people making comments toward me were almost always much older.

So of course, these experiences have made me more cynical about any stranger who talks to me, I want to believe in the best of people but I can't help always holding some degree of suspicion.

Nonetheless, to balance out these negative experiences, I know there are plenty of good people out there. There are the times people have offered me a seat, or waited for me to exit a train before they did, out of genuine and sheer politeness. Because these people did not in any way, try to pursue a conversation with me or make me feel threatened. This goes for both women and men. In short, people who do something nice and expect nothing in return are my heroes.

Just my thoughts,
Love Lisa.