We all have a persona we present to the world. This “persona” can be likened to a mask that we wear when we interact with others in society. It's what we choose to show the outside world. Carl Jung describes it as a “compromise between the individual and society as to what a man should appear to be”.
So what happens when the values of your true self don't match up with what is accepted in our culture? What happens when you end up compromising too much? Depression.
Depression is known to stem from a lack of self-expression. It's a disease of loneliness. How to cure loneliness? Connection. How to authentically connect? Vulnerability.
Of course showing vulnerability can feel threatening to the persona, because it could mean showing parts of ourselves that we feel might not necessarily be accepted in the outside world. But then we have to ask ourselves “Was I put on this earth to entertain other's ideals of how I'm supposed to live?”
I DON'T THINK SO.
Yes revealing our true selves can feel downright terrifying. Going against the grain is difficult. But the more we do it… the more we ALL do it… the sooner new pathways will start to take form and we will feel free to move in any direction we choose.
