I am a product of our Durkeimian Society

I followed a man from Georgetown back to work today. I walked 1/2 a block behind him for 4 blocks. I watched him walk and scream at nobody. He screamed obscenities and blood curdling accusations of people who had wronged him. He turned his head up to the sky and didn't care who heard him. I wondered what had happened for him to act this way. I wondered if it was a breakdown or just a normal Tuesday. But mostly, I wondered why nobody reacted to him. In a city of over 1/2 a million people, everyone walks with their head down. They don't acknowledge anothers pain and suffering, or delusional behavior.


The other day, a professional violinist stood outside a metro stop and played all morning. Nobody really even took note. A few people stopped to look back, after realizing that this man was very talented, but then kept walking on. He made little money and was mostly ignored.
Why are people so scared to acknowledge each other? What is the fear of giving someone a smile? Or asking them if they are ok? Are we really so important that we cannot take 10-15 minutes out of our day to help someone?
If I didn't think the man walking down the street was going to shoot my head off or stab me, maybe I would've talked to him. Maybe. *Sigh