Today I learnt what the word “sonder” meant. It is a German word meaning “realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own”. It made me think about all the strangers I have seen on the train in Boston, the streets of Westford, the Airport before a departure, the mall during the holiday season, and so many random moments throughout my life. It hurts my brain to try and theorize the idea that everybody has thoughts as intricate and personal as mine, a life as complicated and detailed as mine, and responsibilities as similar or different as possible to mine. I think that the theory is just too infinite and incomprehensible to the human mind to fully grasp. But in writing, when authors create such vivid descriptions and lives for their characters, it really does not seem as daunting or as vast an idea as it would in reality. What a weird juxtaposition.
No comments:
Post a Comment