, perhaps there is nothing in our lives more salient than having a sincere human relationship. Whenever we find ourselves utterly despondent about the future, the origin of our mental instability is almost always traceable back to a tragic series of mishaps with other human beings. Upon finding ourselves in a lonely room in a tiny apartment, we might realise having had trouble with communication with our lovers; we might, without us realising it, have said something deeply offensive to our friends and they are now irraparably furious; our parents might have remarked on part of us that we did not want anyone to notice. Yet, if there is anything valuable that we can learn from these painful experiences, it may be the realisation that relationships matter in our mental well-being.
Then a question emerges: how can we forge a long, happy human relationship? Why is it that some people are significantly better than others at such diplomacy? Why is it that, as we take a walk in a city with a convivial atmosphere full of people enjoying their companionship with their friends, we look like the only people who are desperately alone? The answer lies in a totally unexpected area, in a slightly dark street or perhaps near the local fish market, in the mind of those small creatures: cats.
One feature of feline etiquette is that when they politely greet others, cats, with their fluffy look and lithe movement, make eye contact with their fellow cats. In so doing, they wholly expose themselves to the possible danger of being attacked at the very moment they close their eyes. But they are learned members of the animal kingdom — they are well aware of that possibility. Less obvious perhaps is what they also know, that by allowing themselves in danger, they are showing others the irrefutable proof of their sincere trust in them. The same holds true in forging human relationships: it is only by revealing our deeply damaged wounds and vulnerability that others notice our sincerity and trust in them.
Generally, especially when it comes to the discussion of truths in our lives, we have this inherent tendency to prefer abstruse, convoluted, enigmatic explanations and dismiss simplicity. But once we realise how creatures as small as cats get along with others much better than we do, we should be wise enough to gracefully acknolwedge that simplicity and wisdom are not incompatible and that they are often intimately connected. Only by such realisation will we be ready to, quite contrary to the impressive public image that we try very hard every day to project onto other people, observe the feline social proprieties and learn the moral messages of vulnerability that they seek to convey.