Why are we afraid to speak up? What is so frightening about saying, "I don't understand what you're talking about?" Why do we let physical, verbal, political and theological bullies push us around?
Why do we sit in church and think to ourselves, "Is this all there is?" and not stand up then do something about it beyond complaining to others?
Why do we choose inaction because we don't want people to label us: post-modern, socialist, liberal, universalist, hipster, vegetarian, artistic, or touchy-feely? We don't want to be boiled down to a single thing and put in a box labelled "those kind of people." Why do we care what people (who are willing to de-humanize us) think about us?
Why is it that, even though when we do ask a question and ten people come up afterwards and say, "I was thinking the same thing," the next opportunity to speak up we feel the same sense of fear and believe that we are the only person who feels this way?
No more.
I'm interested to know if there is a specific instance prompting this post.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm interested to know how much reading you had done around systems thinking and self-differentiation.
Yes and no.
ReplyDeleteIt is a series of interactions with people which seemed to glide into a conspiratorial tone with a "you believe that too?" moment.
I know about the power of self-differentiation, but I don't always find it as easy as my knowledge would seem to make it. I think I'm still figuring out who I am.