Hell is other people before my morning coffee

“Hell is other People”
-Jean Paul Sartre



This morning around the end of my 2nd period class I was witness to a lover’s quarrel between two of my students who are currently on the outs. During this spat one told the other to go to hell. I attempted to end this debacle armed with my cup of coffee and the quickness of wit which the right amount of caffeine can sometimes yield. I immediately told the class to take a deep breath and exhale. I then explained that no matter what is going on in one’s life if they can complete this action than there day really isn’t that bad. Corny? Maybe. But it worked. From that point on, every time these two attempted to continue with their argument one of my students would immediately inhale and exhale loudly. The result of course was laughter.

Although this situation ended well, my student’s aggressive request for her ex to visit the land of fire and brimstone suggested to me that he could not have gone without taking her with him. In fact, if we applied the Sartre quote to this situation she was already there waiting for him. In (reflective) reality she should have told him to “come to hell” because the hell in fact could not really exist unless the two of them were involved whether as lovers or friends.
This quote from Sartre further asserts my point:



“The "Other" (meaning simply beings or objects that are not the self) is a construct of reflective consciousness. One must be careful to understand this more as a form of warning than as an ontological statement. However, there is an implication of solipsism here that Sartre considers fundamental to any coherent description of the human condition.[20] Sartre overcomes this solipsism by a kind of ritual. Self consciousness needs "the Other" to prove (display) its own existence. It has a "masochistic desire" to be limited, i.e. limited by the reflective consciousness of another subject. This is expressed metaphorically in the famous line of dialogue from No Exit, "Hell is other people."


I am often blown away when I apply this philosophy to the stresses that I experience in my daily life. When I actually give myself the deserved solitude needed to think about the many “demons” that exist in my life who contribute to my own personal “hell” experience, it is easier to realize the vital role I play in my own salvation. The postal worker who gave me attitude, the train conductor who closed the subway doors just as I was approaching or the payroll secretary who marked me a minute late are all individuals who contribute to my reflective consciousness. In my solitude however, they can all disappear. I can also transform these individuals into angels simply by maintaining a positive attitude and being more time conscious. Again, I am aware of how corny this sounds, but what if everyone took the time to think about it.



I was recently given a warning from my cousin about the dangers of thinking too much. I accept this warning with both love and respect. But there are times like today that remind me that there is some virtue in recognizing the bold examples of wisdom that life can offer. A hokey experiment like today is proof that all the new age books, documentaries and movies that I have consumed over the years actually have some relevance when applied without pretense. And yes sometimes stimulants such as caffeine can help too. With this in mind, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Jean Paul Sartre, Iyanla Vanzant, Deepak Chopra, Oprah Winfrey, The Dali Lama and Dunkin Donuts for their help in today’s observation.