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pity
n. pl. pities
1. Sympathy and sorrow aroused by the misfortune or suffering of another.
2. A matter of regret: It's a pity she can't attend the reception.
Synonyms: pity, compassion, commiseration, sympathy, condolence, empathy
These nouns signify kindly concern aroused by the misfortune, affliction, or suffering of another. Pity often implies a feeling of sorrow that inclines one to help or to show mercy: felt pity for the outcast. Compassion denotes deep awareness of the suffering of another and the wish to relieve it: Compassion is not weakness, and concern for the unfortunate is not socialism (Hubert H. Humphrey). Commiseration signifies the expression of pity or sorrow: expressed their commiseration over the failure of the experiment. Sympathy denotes the act of or capacity for sharing in the sorrows or troubles of another: They had little sympathy to spare for their unfortunate enemies (William Hickling Prescott). Condolence is a formal, conventional expression of pity, usually to relatives upon a death: extending condolences to the bereaved family. Empathy is an identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives: Having changed schools several times as a child, I feel empathy for the transfer students.

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i think the english language might be extremely detrimental to the human psyche.

let's think about this for a moment...shall we?

the word "pity". when i use it, i'm generally saying empathy, concern, and understanding. as stated above, i feel like i might just be correct. however, that's not my point. other people in this world view the word differently....in a much more negative connotation. pity, meaning to look down upon someone who is less than.

both views of the word are correct. they're personal views of each individual, and therefore, cannot be discounted. one cannot be greater than the other. it's all in the perception. but these perception differences are KILLING me. how am i supposed to have a conversation with someone, when we're quite litterally speaking two different languages?!

another example....
today i was lazying about the house, enjoying a nice slow weekend afternoon. i thought to myself "oh, how i've wasted the day sleeping and just sitting here." then i proceed to feel badly about that fact.
instead, if i had thought "wow. i've gotten to spend an entire day having me time! catching up on sleep. getting laundry done. relaxing. on my own schedule!" i would've felt much better about the situation. much better about myself, my life, my situation.

the difference between a few simple words may mean the difference between very different worlds.
i've always believed that words were one of the most powerful forces known. they fascinate me.
but only now am i starting to understand that they heavily create/transform our relationships with others, ourselves, and our hearts.