“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.” ― Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter "When the friend shows his inmost heart to his friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster, for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and die! I look around me, and, lo! on every visage a Black Veil!" - Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Minister's Black Veil Have you ever completely opened up to someone like this before? Can anyone really and truly take down all barriers and let their true soul be exposed??
I don't know. There is someone that I opened up a lot to. Someone that I could be completely honest and open with them and the I could say the first thing that came to my mind and I wasn't afraid of that. I think that it's as much about the person you want to share with as it is about you. That person has to be sending you the energy that welcomes you to open up and then you have to be able to receive that. Also, there are some people that I can open up to about certain things. For example, when I was having problems with my marriage or my child, I can tell my best friend Samantha anything but I wouldn't necessarily confide in her about certain things just because I didn't think she would understand or I was embarrassed or whatever the case was. I hope that all makes sense. Cool thread though
Thanks I think it has a lot to do with vulnerability too. Letting all the walls down and just exposing everything. Metaphorically of course. I think it takes a lot of trust to be able to do that. People with trust issues must have an even more difficult time with that. Whether they don't trust themselves or other people. It's hard enough to open up without all that extra anxiety.
Yes, vulnerability is the thing here, that's why it can be so important who you're interacting with. Some people seem able to reveal themselves to anyone, while others save their deepest stuff for a chosen few. The thing is: What happens when we reveal ourselves openly? What is this vulnerability we feel? Are we giving something of ourselves away when we open up? Or are we too attached to what someone else thinks? What does this say about us if we are? There are times when I'll reveal anything about myself to whoever I'm talking to, even those I'm not talking to, or who just happen to be nearby. I don't care whether they hear what I have to say. They probably aren't interested in it anyway. Sometimes I feel the need to speak freely without fear or social constraint. It can be quite liberating. Knowledge is power, or so they say, so perhaps when people know things about you, it can create a feeling of vulnerability that might not feel very nice. I suppose if you have things to hide, and there are things you don't want people to know, then this becomes quite important. Whereas, if you wear your heart on your sleeve, always speak your mind, and practice honest revelation, then there's nothing to hide and no reason to feel vulnerable when you reveal something.