The art of bothering

At one point or another, we all feel lonely. But this tendency has gotten so bad recently that it’s described as a “loneliness epidemic.” Imagine this: you want to meet with a friend, but don’t want to be a bother because you know they’ve got a lot of commitments, you might talk yourself out of it. There’s a good chance that they’re worried about not wanting to bother you, and so they won’t ask. Or, you attend an event where you don’t know anyone, but don’t want to bother people in and interrupt their conversions so you stand by the wall and check your phone. Or, you want to meet more people, but don’t want to bother them with a cold email. Bothering is precisely the most useful thing you can do in these situations. The word “bother” likely comes from the Scottish word “pother,” which means “to make a stir or commotion, bustle.” It’s also possible it descends from the English word “pother,” which means “to poke, prod.” When you take initiative, you also bother. Notice how when you…

Commenting on Bubbles has been removed. Why? If you want to talk about this post, write to the author, use the comments on their blog if it has them, or reply with a "RE:" post on your own blog. Suggestions? feedback@bubbles.town