psychoanalysis

Realizing that we have an impact on every living being helps us care about their well-being and encourages us to be more thoughtful in our words and actions. It’s a serious responsibility, and maybe that's why sometimes it feels easier to ignore this.

When I hear people say things like, “This is just how I am—I can be blunt or hurtful, and I feel comfortable with people who won’t take it the wrong way,” I often feel they’re taking the easy way out. Often, the thing they don’t want misunderstood is actually understood well; it’s just that when they don’t see or accept their bad parts, they don’t want others to see them either. 

Trying to understand the impact we have on others means connecting with both our bad and good sides. If we can recognize the darker parts of ourself, we’ll be able to share the good in a genuine way.