Claritytoo,
You are talking about feelings, and when you get into that realm, there really are no rules. People are a complicated mixture of genetics, experiences and paths in life. Has anyone every asked you how you feel about an issue, it doesn't have to even be about yourself, but you don't have the words to explain it?

Some people have spent years being told that they were not as good, worthless, stupid or ugly, and after a while, one starts to believe it. There are those that will go to their grave believing that they are worthless. Most likely, they will go there alone. Others can be brought out of that mindset with kindness and support. Part of it depends on whether they were damaged, or broken. We all have our limits, an unseen line that when crossed over, causes us to snap.

What ever the cause of feelings of worthlessness, it is up to those who can, to lend support to those who are suffering. Giving up on someone who repeatedly says they are worthless only verifies that feeling. I'm going to use an example that may be a little controvesial. Take a fat person. They see others around them that are of normal size and wish they were as well, but have given up hope after trying numerous times to lose weight. They have been teased about being overweight, called names and humiliated. After awhile, they may start making jokes about how fat they are, or bringing it up quickly. Why? Because if they say it first, it decreases the chance of someone else making comments or mocking them. If someone feels worthless, they too may say it first before someone else can tell them that they are.

Take a child who every time they bring home a B on their report card, their parents ask them why wasn't it an A? They play a sport, work as hard as they can and score points for a team several times, but miss one shot. Their parents say nothing about the points they got, just ask why did they miss that one shot? Even if the parents are doing that in an effort to try and make the kid work to thier potential, all the kid hears is that they are never good enough. It sounds simple, but put enough years on that, and the damage is done.

Its not a waste of time to tell someone who is emotionally suffering that they are worth something. That they are special. Its not a lie or a matter of just trying to make the person feel better. Its the truth. We all have our place on earth, and while we are here, we all touch someone else's life one way or another no matter how insignificant we think we are.

I don't know if that came close to answering your question, but if nothing else, maybe it gave you something to think about.

Sam2