Words from Anne Frank, a timely reminder.

I read a lot as a little girl and I always loved this quote. If Anne Frank can say this while hiding during World War II, what's my excuse? So I always tried living by this quote. I always told myself everyone can be nice if we give them a chance, and I trusted everyone that came my way. And I always prided myself in that.

When people told me not to be so trusting, I laughed at them for I thought they didn't know what they were missing out on by when so suspicious of the world. Yet lately, I've been proven wrong time and again. Thrice in a month. I can't believe that I've been the fool for so long. I lost my faith; the world is a nasty place, whether you want to believe it or not.

If I were to be honest, I don't understand how the world works anymore. You be nice to someone expecting them to treat you the same. Indeed, 知人知面不知心。These were the people I defended when someone spoke ill of them and in turn, they spoke nasty words behind my back, choosing to run away from problems instead of solving them. And I thought these actions were left behind when we graduated from school.

I try to think of the bright side but it ain't easy. At least I know who's worth my time and who's not before I spend too much of my life on them. This is just one of the many setbacks I'll face in life and I know I can get through this. Some say they will receive their karma; after all, the world is round and what goes around comes around right? But I don't care about them or what happens to them in the future. They're not worth my time anymore.

I only care about my beliefs being shattered. I wonder what Anne Frank meant when she wrote those words. Were she as trusting as I was? Is there really good left in the world or was she just too naive because she was denied the chance to experience the real world? Is it worth it to give up on my beliefs for people who are not worth it or is it essential to do so to survive in society?

Should I still live by Anne Frank's words or become tough like the rest of the world?

(Written 12 March 2016)