By all accounts...

"you've led a wretched existence."

After hearing my entire life history and events, that is definitely the common immediate thought of external parties but most are too tactful and sensitive to actually verbalise...but I 'hear' their thoughts anyway...

I wouldn't say I've had it the worst by any accounts of the human experience but yeah people never quite believe when I say "I've been through ALOT" so then when they hear my entire life story they find themselves surprised to come to agreement...how can someone so young have been through so much? Especially not living in a war torn third world country with no starvation etc etc?!

Everythings possible unless the chance is zero anyway...only our beliefs set limitations...and some of us just defy any kind of stereotyping...bigtime ;)

So anyway, I'm not surprised that I find it hard to connect with other humans especially ones my age as few you would encounter out and about in normal life would share any of the same unusual character building experiences.

In any case I was reflecting on the past week which has taken another 2 casualties by association and pulverised bits of them to smithereens...and it occurred to me, boy am I THANKFUL I am so mind dominant...cos F dominants really can't take much-before long, their emotions take over and consume them. If I was an F dominant, I am not sure how I would have managed to get so far reasonably in tact actually.

I think what happens is that as a T dominant it is easy to just shut out or rationalise unpleasantness. If anything it is almost like there is an ability to completely detach from the unpleasantness and observe as an objective party rather than go into the experience personally-it's almost like splitting into two selves perhaps as Tolle touches on in the beginning of "The Power of Now". Also I think after some exposure to hardships, one becomes somewhat tougher, hardened, innured, compared to say, a freshie who has always had smooth sailing.

In any case challenges lay great foundations for development especially spiritually, character-wise and personally. I guess I feel a bit guilty pulling others along for the ride, but in a way I can't say there isn't some positivity in seeing others develop as a result of their experiencing challenge by association.