knowing people.

if you really want to know someone, don't talk to him or her. conversations are often pointless. they'll tell you what you want to hear. they'll make you see a picture of themselves perfectly shaped by the words of their choice. the selfish will look altruist. the altruist will act as if they don't care. there will be no pride, no misery, and all the little mean things about them will look funny, mostly harmless. an act. always an act, conversations. and guess what? you'll swallow them. you'll swallow them all, and you'll give them a standing ovation in the end. if you truly want to know someone, when be their company when they're doing their everyday business. you know, go shopping with them, watch them talking on the cell phone, see how they adress the waitress on the pub you've picked up, watch them walking on the street. watch their moves. they will tell you everything you need to know, all the things that words thought and spoken would never tell you.

mind you, there is an exception to this rule: sometimes you meet someone and there is something so intense between both of you that all the words simply come out, naturally and true to themselves. like an electric current, or a tidal force seemingly unstoppable. sometimes you meet someone and you feel no need to wear any of your masks when talking to them - you can simply be yourself. but how many people like this you meet during your lifetime? one? two? three if you're lucky? always too few. but is it always worth meeting them.