Strangers are Friends You Haven’t Met Yet
Have you ever heard the phrase “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet?” Essentially there are two perspectives; we are in a world full of strangers, or we are in a world full of friends we just haven’t met yet. I personally think that the second perspective makes being a good citizen a little easier and meaningful. When people identify others as foreigners or strangers, it makes it easier to disassociate with the problem at hand and not feel responsible for finding a solution. Living in a world full of strangers makes it easier for one to limit their responsibilities as a citizen. When we start looking at the world as a community full of friends we haven’t met yet, we are more easily able to share the responsibility of our global community and be better citizens. However, I am not proposing that looking at everyone as a friend rather than a stranger is the solution that will save all of humanity. I am proposing that by changing one’s perspective one is more inclined to a more inclusive-global community and more willing to make small acts of kindness regardless of their relationship with the person.
In the beginning of my abroad experience I found it very difficult not to look at everyone as strangers. I mean after all, how could I potentially be friends with all of the people I was meeting when we didn’t even speak the same language? The language barrier and other cultural barriers made it easy for me to not carry the burden of any problems I knew these people were facing. I have seen a large number of people either begging on the street or selling counterfeit merchandise due to economic struggles. Rather than seeing it as my job as a global citizen to help them, it was easier to write it off as the problem of that country’s government to help them. I am aware that this view was narrow-minded and selfish. It was one evening in Florence, Italy when my perspective switched from viewing the world as one full of strangers to one full of friends. While in Florence some friends and I stopped at a kebab place to grab some food. Along with the restaurant owner, we were the only three there. While getting our food an obviously drunk man walked in and yelled something in Italian. He then proceeded to grab a soda from the restaurant fridge and leave. This man had taken advantage of the restaurant owner. The owner appeared to be an immigrant; he was of smaller stature, and at this moment he was very vulnerable. I was furious at the situation. I was angered that the man had robbed the restaurant, and I was enraged that he most likely had done this because he knew the owner could not or would not do much about it. In this instance, the restaurant owner was not a stranger that had been robbed. At this moment my friend, the restaurant owner, had been robbed. Now although I was unable to reprimand the thief for what he did, my perspective had been altered. No longer was I looking at the world full of strangers, but now I saw the world as full of friends I hadn’t met yet. There was no more “not my problem,” but now as a global citizen I thought, “How can I help my friends? Even if I haven’t met or will never meet them.”
Many weeks later in Rome, Italy I was on the other side of the lens. There was a man who could have easily looked at me as a stranger, but instead he treated me like a friend. At the train station in Rome, my friend and I were waiting on our train platform to be announced. This train station was much larger and very different from other train stations we had been in, so we were a little worried about catching our train. Our worry must have been obvious because a man came over to us and said “Come here, follow me, it is okay.” We were hesitant and did not follow him at first, but his intentions seemed alright, so with caution we followed him. He took us to a small board that we would not have found on our own, and it had our platform location and time on it. We told the man thank you, and he carried on. After boarding the train I could not help but relive the situation and try to analyze it. This man helped us, even when we didn't ask for it, and expected nothing in return. Even when we refused to follow him and questioned his intentions, he was not offended but instead continued to try to help us. This man did not work at the train station; we did not pay him for his service, and instead he just helped us out of the kindness of his heart. One who sees the world full of strangers would say that it was not his job to help me. However, I believe he looked at me as a “friend” who was in need of assistance. His perspective allowed for him to be a good citizen and help a fellow member of the global community. I believe small acts of kindness such as this one make the world a better place for all of humanity.
Overall, the world needs more help than a change of perspective. However, the change we see in the world does begin with ourselves and our commitment to our own citizenship of our global community. To begin to see a change in the world, we must see a change in ourselves. We must become better citizens in order to live in a better world. I honestly believe that viewing the world as “a place full of friends that you haven’t met yet” allows for one to more easily be a good citizen toward others. Eliminating the title of “strangers” also eliminates disconnect and disassociation. Viewing one as a friend allows you to be more open to take action, to help, and to be a good citizen and friend to anyone you encounter. If we want a better world, we must be better citizens. Being a better citizen to someone is easier and more meaningful when you treat them as a friend.
Have you ever heard the phrase “A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet?” Essentially there are two perspectives; we are in a world full of strangers, or we are in a world full of friends we just haven’t met yet. I personally think that the second perspective makes being a good citizen a little easier and meaningful. When people identify others as foreigners or strangers, it makes it easier to disassociate with the problem at hand and not feel responsible for finding a solution. Living in a world full of strangers makes it easier for one to limit their responsibilities as a citizen. When we start looking at the world as a community full of friends we haven’t met yet, we are more easily able to share the responsibility of our global community and be better citizens. However, I am not proposing that looking at everyone as a friend rather than a stranger is the solution that will save all of humanity. I am proposing that by changing one’s perspective one is more inclined to a more inclusive-global community and more willing to make small acts of kindness regardless of their relationship with the person.
In the beginning of my abroad experience I found it very difficult not to look at everyone as strangers. I mean after all, how could I potentially be friends with all of the people I was meeting when we didn’t even speak the same language? The language barrier and other cultural barriers made it easy for me to not carry the burden of any problems I knew these people were facing. I have seen a large number of people either begging on the street or selling counterfeit merchandise due to economic struggles. Rather than seeing it as my job as a global citizen to help them, it was easier to write it off as the problem of that country’s government to help them. I am aware that this view was narrow-minded and selfish. It was one evening in Florence, Italy when my perspective switched from viewing the world as one full of strangers to one full of friends. While in Florence some friends and I stopped at a kebab place to grab some food. Along with the restaurant owner, we were the only three there. While getting our food an obviously drunk man walked in and yelled something in Italian. He then proceeded to grab a soda from the restaurant fridge and leave. This man had taken advantage of the restaurant owner. The owner appeared to be an immigrant; he was of smaller stature, and at this moment he was very vulnerable. I was furious at the situation. I was angered that the man had robbed the restaurant, and I was enraged that he most likely had done this because he knew the owner could not or would not do much about it. In this instance, the restaurant owner was not a stranger that had been robbed. At this moment my friend, the restaurant owner, had been robbed. Now although I was unable to reprimand the thief for what he did, my perspective had been altered. No longer was I looking at the world full of strangers, but now I saw the world as full of friends I hadn’t met yet. There was no more “not my problem,” but now as a global citizen I thought, “How can I help my friends? Even if I haven’t met or will never meet them.”
Many weeks later in Rome, Italy I was on the other side of the lens. There was a man who could have easily looked at me as a stranger, but instead he treated me like a friend. At the train station in Rome, my friend and I were waiting on our train platform to be announced. This train station was much larger and very different from other train stations we had been in, so we were a little worried about catching our train. Our worry must have been obvious because a man came over to us and said “Come here, follow me, it is okay.” We were hesitant and did not follow him at first, but his intentions seemed alright, so with caution we followed him. He took us to a small board that we would not have found on our own, and it had our platform location and time on it. We told the man thank you, and he carried on. After boarding the train I could not help but relive the situation and try to analyze it. This man helped us, even when we didn't ask for it, and expected nothing in return. Even when we refused to follow him and questioned his intentions, he was not offended but instead continued to try to help us. This man did not work at the train station; we did not pay him for his service, and instead he just helped us out of the kindness of his heart. One who sees the world full of strangers would say that it was not his job to help me. However, I believe he looked at me as a “friend” who was in need of assistance. His perspective allowed for him to be a good citizen and help a fellow member of the global community. I believe small acts of kindness such as this one make the world a better place for all of humanity.
Overall, the world needs more help than a change of perspective. However, the change we see in the world does begin with ourselves and our commitment to our own citizenship of our global community. To begin to see a change in the world, we must see a change in ourselves. We must become better citizens in order to live in a better world. I honestly believe that viewing the world as “a place full of friends that you haven’t met yet” allows for one to more easily be a good citizen toward others. Eliminating the title of “strangers” also eliminates disconnect and disassociation. Viewing one as a friend allows you to be more open to take action, to help, and to be a good citizen and friend to anyone you encounter. If we want a better world, we must be better citizens. Being a better citizen to someone is easier and more meaningful when you treat them as a friend.