too often, we undermine each other. instead of encouragement, understanding and constructive advice, we carp, complain and criticize. we try to feign indifference. we insist that it is all, "water off a duck's back". but we're not ducks. we're people. and we have feelings too. once these have been hurt, we take a long long time to recover. that's why, when we finally manage to get ourselves back on an even keel, after our especially destabilizing attack, we work hard to ensure that we are never caught off-guard again. sometimes though, we work a little too hard. and we end up putting up psychological barriers that then prevent us from sharing innocent emotion.

i would never hurt you, rohit.