I disagree. Now this is all just experience, and could be totally different for someone who is not me, but the most brutal part of my life was high school. I think this might be true of most people in my income tax bracket? I know a few people from that time period, some of who really stood by me and were the closest to 'brothers in arms' that I will (hopefully) ever know.
but... I'm not really close with any of those people anymore. When we gained our ability to choose our peers, we all went our own ways, finding niches where we all felt best.
Part of this is that when things are at their worst? you are not at your best. Or, at least I wasn't at my best in high school. I was a real jerk, and I think you'd have to have christ-like instincts to go through experiences that hostile without being a jerk. Or, in any case, I wasn't good enough to remain "good" through the experience (though I do think I'm much less of a jerk now, in part because I have a life where people generally treat me well, and where treating others well is generally rewarded better than treating others poorly, and in part because it's been 20 years, and I've grown and matured and reflected.)
I disagree. Now this is all just experience, and could be totally different for someone who is not me, but the most brutal part of my life was high school. I think this might be true of most people in my income tax bracket? I know a few people from that time period, some of who really stood by me and were the closest to 'brothers in arms' that I will (hopefully) ever know.
but... I'm not really close with any of those people anymore. When we gained our ability to choose our peers, we all went our own ways, finding niches where we all felt best.
Part of this is that when things are at their worst? you are not at your best. Or, at least I wasn't at my best in high school. I was a real jerk, and I think you'd have to have christ-like instincts to go through experiences that hostile without being a jerk. Or, in any case, I wasn't good enough to remain "good" through the experience (though I do think I'm much less of a jerk now, in part because I have a life where people generally treat me well, and where treating others well is generally rewarded better than treating others poorly, and in part because it's been 20 years, and I've grown and matured and reflected.)