10/10/2026
There is No Scale for Pain
In psychology, there’s a well-known concept: helping someone who seems to be facing bigger problems than your own can be a powerful way to heal yourself.
But how do we really know? How do we measure the weight of a problem?
We don’t have a ruler or a scale for human suffering. For one person, a broken nail might feel like a minor inconvenience; for another it can feel like a genuine tragedy. And it is real to them because that is how their mind is experiencing it. Everyone has a different threshold for pain, and a different capacity for handling life’s storms.
That’s why we should never dismiss what someone else is feeling. Never.
And here is another truth: no matter how strong a person seems, or how devotedly they step up to support you through your darkest hours, remember that they carry their own heavy loads too.
Find the strength to stop for a second and ask: "How are you doing, really?"
Mental health isn't built on comparison or judgment. It’s built on connection. The moment we start reaching out to hold each other's hands, the world becomes a gentler place and the sun shines just a little brighter for both.
Today is World Mental Health Day. But be kind to yourself, and be kind to those around you every day.
