When you’re in school, most of us will have a group of people who are our friends and a selection of people who we do not like at all. It all comes down to the fact that everyone is a bit meaner as a teenager and that, in turn, means that we’ll all end up having especially negative opinions of certain individuals.
What I find especially nice, as I grow older, is that I see these ill feelings just falling away. As people become more mature and enter the catalyst that is adulthood, they come out with more empathy and compassion. Even people who didn’t like each other will often be on friendly terms, just because the old rivalries that they had are now just memories of a shared childhood.
I always like to see people overcoming their issues and teenagers have a lot of issues. I think growing up with a person helps you to respect them more for this very reason and I often find myself feeling momentarily sad about the fact that I will not be able to grow up with the friends who I met later in life. When you get to see somebody evolve, you kind of get to meet different aspects of them.
Of course, some people will always remain trapped in a teenage perspective, which is a shame – in part, because they can be quite annoying. But, ultimately, you have to feel more pity than annoyance for these people, as their lack of development will prevent them from forming real bonds with others or, indeed, from appreciating life to the fullest extent.
