Hobbes and his Toxic Circle

I don't mean to come right out and say that Hobbes didn't have friends. In fact I've never even taken PHIL 101, so I'm especially unqualified to make that claim. Maybe it's that he didn't have good friends. How else could you come up with that "humans are inherently selfish" business?

It's not that it's a far-fetched ideology at first glance. It's explains war pretty nicely, simply. It helps us understand all kinds of humanity's twisted motives. It checks out, on a lot of fronts. But I don't believe it because I've met my friends.

It's true that friendships are, a lot of the time, mutually beneficial. You care for each other, of course. But how. many. times. have my loved ones cared for me in ways I can never repay. Oodles, easily. Would I do the same for them? Gosh I hope so. But that's not why they do it.

Among the most delightful things is realizing your own selflessness. In David Sedaris' (paraphrased) words "one of the best things in the world is feeling so proud of someone that you think you might burst". When you watch a loved one excel and you're suddenly aware of your body's minute capacity to hold in your pride, that's proof of your selflessness there. Just observing their brilliance is a rush. Feeling that you're capable of this, just pure well-wishing, that's exhilarating and fresh, enchanting and Godly.

Did Hobbes have kids? From my quick Google search, no. I'm not surprised because there's far more than procreation to that relationship. Never in a million years could we repay for good parenting.

I think it's too bad Hobbes didn't branch out a little more, read up on toxic relationships, maybe try a hobby-based meetup or bookclub. No doubt Leviathan would've read a little differently if he had.