Nikhil did not make assumptions in his essay. Instead, he demonstrated immense self-reflection by describing the thought in detail, which shows his awareness of the gravity of his "dark thought". He understands the difference between thinking and acting and makes sure to point this out while writing. It is admirable that he has the courage to confront his own thoughts and to share them with others in order to grow as a person instead of burying them and pretending they never existed.

The retort to Nikhil's essay may have been well-intended, however it fails to recognize the nuance in his words and dismisses his entire argument. UrRong! The fact of the matter is: sometimes we have thoughts we don't want, but acknowledging them and learning from them is a much better approach than pushing them away and denying they exist. After all, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?