Fear of Strangers

From a young age, we are told to be cautious of strangers – like they are some dangerous creature lurking in the shadows late at night. This type of thinking creates a mentality that people we dont know are bad, they are out to get us, they want to hurt us. We walk down the streets avoiding eyecontact with other people. Public buses are silent and full of people staring at their cell phones. Even hostels – places where people specifically go to meet new people from all over the world – can be impersonal and a bit antisocial.

Of course, we need to be aware when talking to new people. We need to read their body language and quickly assess their intentions. But, one cannot learn these skills if they believe that strangers are inherently bad. This mentality teaches avoidance. It teaches us to be overly cautious, to stay in a bubble of comfort with those we already know, to rarely venture out to experience someone new.

That stranger sitting at the table next to you on their computer at a cafe could be your next best friend, they could be the love of your life, they could mean something to you. Two lonely people in a cafe dont have to be this way. So what if you talk to them and the conversation is awkward? So what if they give you a strange look for engaging in conversation? Who cares? What is the point of living if we dont take chances and experience people fully?

I am tired of sitting in a silent room full of people. I am exhausted of feeling like I shouldn’t say anything. I don’t understand why we do this to ourselves. I don’t understand why opening up is so difficult. I want to know what that stranger who is sitting next to me on the train is thinking, I want to understand who they are, I want to know their passions and fears. I want to skip the small talk and understand their reason for living, what their dreams are, why they feel sad sometimes. Is this too much to ask for?

Every person on this planet has a completely unique experience and perspective about life. Every person is infinite in their ability to think and dream. Every person has a past that has shaped who they currently are and who they will be in the future.

Each stranger we talk to could open doors to more profound understandings of life. They can teach us lessons we never thought we were supposed to know, lessons that we didn’t know we lacked in our lives. They could change us in ways we would have never imagined.