Reclaiming the Self - On Projections, Truth, and Quiet Strength
What happens when our true Self collides with the need of others to turn us into an image they require... We constantly "clothe" others in our own perceptions. We do not fully see the person before us; instead, we see a fragment of them filtered through our own history - through fear, desire, past disappointments, and the need for security. Sometimes we need someone to be "the strong one," "the villain," "the savior," "the guilty one," "the wise one," or "the cold one." It makes the world feel more orderly. But the cost is that the real human being vanishes behind the role. And here lies a crucial psychoanalytic distinction between someone being unable to see something and someone choosing not to see it. A person may truly not know. They might lack the internal tools to comprehend a given situation. They might be in defense mode, or overwhelmed by anxiety. The psyche has a remarkable capacity to shield a person fro...
