Obsession and Thinking

I have been thinking about people, including me, who obsess.  When a person obsesses, he or she focuses on one or two things to the exclusion of all else.  One phrase describes it in dictionary.com --"haunt persistently or abnormally".  Some examples come to mind.

Some people in our neighborhoods seem to need an "enemy" in order to function.  Someone, some school, some religion, some relative, some movement, some store or web site catches this person's attention.  At first the person may feel pretty good about this object or attention.  But the object of attention doesn't fulfill expectations, and all of a sudden -- suspicion!  This object of attention (person, institution, movement, religion) is failing me or failing someone I love. 

After awhile, maybe a few months, maybe only a few weeks, the object being obsessed about is "wrong".  Doing it wrong, believing wrongly, transacting badly.  "I can't stand be be around _________," thinks the obsessing person. "He/she/it knows what it is doing is wrong.  I was on their side, but I was rejected." 

Soon the obsessing person is talking about he/she/them/it behind their back.  But the object of obsession does't know it.

After awhile, with little or no airing of concerns at all, he/she/it is a full-fledged enemy.  If it weren't so tragic, it would be a sad joke.  But it is tragic.  This obsessing person is hurting others, often hurting reputations, breaking off a friendship for no reason the "he/she/it" can fathom, and isolating himself or herself. 

"It is not good for humans to be alone," said the Creator. 

Of course, the obsessing person is not fully alone, not at first.  He/she surrounds self with converts to hating, converts to suspicion, converts to isolation.  These folks are not alone.  They have each other. 

But in time, each is alone.  This happens to extremists of every kind.  But it also happens to decent, concerned ordinary people who fall into the obsession trap.  It is not good.  

That's how I see it.  What do you think?  Leave a comment and let us know.