Hurt people … help people?

This is the July 2023 Book of the Month discussion forum. Use this forum to discuss the July 2023 Book of the Month, "Swimming in a Sea of Stars" by Julie Wright.
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Hurt people … help people?

Post by MsH2k »

“Hurt people hurt people.”

There is much truth in this saying. But the author put a spin on this adage by showing hurt characters helping others who were hurting. It was a defining incident when Addison gave her hoodie to Celia. She didn’t know who the girl crying in the bathroom stall was, but for a moment, she focused on the needs of her fellow hideout companion and shared a layer of her protective covering. Addison noticed that Celia’s life was messed up too, but she did not compare their troubles or judge her situation. She just helped someone who was hurting.

What were other examples in the story of hurting people helping people, whether deliberately, accidentally, or even awkwardly?
"Knowing what must be done does away with fear."
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Post by Thera reads »

The saying that hurt people, hurt people is true. This applies mostly to bullies. The bully people because they don't want to be the victim of bullying. This is because they were once the victims and they did not like it.
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Post by Meghan Soderholm »

An example of hurting people and helping people is Damion driving Avery to meet Joy and the baby for the first time. These were former friends turned frenemies, and Damion could've easily said no and walked away, but he agreed to drive Avery without knowing the trouble he could've gotten into.
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MsH2k
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Post by MsH2k »

Meghan Soderholm wrote: 29 Aug 2023, 16:07 An example of hurting people and helping people is Damion driving Avery to meet Joy and the baby for the first time. These were former friends turned frenemies, and Damion could've easily said no and walked away, but he agreed to drive Avery without knowing the trouble he could've gotten into.
I found Damion to be an interesting character—much deeper than I thought he would be. He showed a sense of loyalty to his mom and, and you highlighted, his friendship with Avery even though they had drifted apart. I also felt sorry for him when he was being trolled.
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Post by Christian_ James »

An illustration of both causing harm and offering help can be seen in the world today. Causing harm most tomes stems from insecurities about being harmed or never wanting to experience hurt again in life.
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Post by Zainab Wasif »

It varies from person to person. Some people hurt others because they were hurt. Others make an effort never to hurt anyone the way they were hurt. It’s about positive and negative mindset.
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Post by Sarah Zain »

Damion's help to Avery is the most prominent because no one knew what he was going through with his mother and the bullying that happened to him, unlike the other characters, their circumstances or actions had some kind of signs that they were hurted.
Life is hard on its own so let's make it easier for each other if we could.
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Post by Anil G »

Someone who's been hurt will surely try to help others because that person understands the pain. But there are some people who'll not help others, they will have a attitude of that... I also experienced it let the other person also suffer the same.
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Post by Abi_rami »

There are definitely two ways for a hurting person to behave, they either help others or hurt others. But when you live with trauma, then you feel more empathetic towards others and can understand what they are going through without even knowing them. When a hurt person helps others, they also get the opportunity to help themselves.
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Post by Nonny Kenneth Ezeanwu »

Yes. I truly believe that hurt people hurt people because it's when you've been truly hurt that you can shut down everything and start reciprocating all that have been done to you.
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Post by koffi Malay »

The saying goes both ways because they are not necessarily good people. The feeling of hurt is so bad. We need to be so careful with how we treat others.
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Post by Jennifer Coxon »

I agree that the saying is sometimes true but not always. A lot of the time if gives people the empathy they need to see others pain and help them. The bathroom scene was definitely one of those situations, but Damion helping Avery with Jo is another of those situations and similarly, Avery trying to help Damion with the online bullies.
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Post by MsH2k »

Jennifer Coxon wrote: 15 Oct 2023, 16:52 I agree that the saying is sometimes true but not always. A lot of the time if gives people the empathy they need to see others pain and help them. The bathroom scene was definitely one of those situations, but Damion helping Avery with Jo is another of those situations and similarly, Avery trying to help Damion with the online bullies.
Yes, I was glad to see Avery and Damion rekindling their friendship too. At first, I was not very hopeful, given the hurt they had both gone through.
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Post by Witch Cavil »

Hurt people understand what it means like to be in pain. However, it doesn't necessarily make them good people.
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Post by Cheryl Erickson »

Yes, some hurt people continue the behavior of hurting others. I know people who were hurt as children and now are hurting others as adults. But some people have been hurt who break the cycle and help others. I was hurt as a child, but instead of continuing the negative behaviors, I learned what not to do and went in the opposite direction.
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