I like this change. Please, please be vulnerable. Spill, Diane, spill. I've reached a point in my life, partly due to successful therapy and partly due to age—my dead grandfather, beloved Billy, used to talk about being "as old as Methuselah's goat" (who, Methuselah not the goat, died at 969 years old according to the always-accurate Bible)—I don't fear being vulnerable any more. Now, I have some opinions about some hot-button issues that I would not share broadly, but in general terms I say what I want. As you allude to, it is very psychologically healthy to do so. Very liberating. I am an intelligent person, as you are, and my view is as likely to be accurate, or to resonate with people, as anyone else's. And of course the important thing is that it doesn't matter whether it resonates with others. If it's what you feel and believe, that's all the legitimacy you need. The risk of hesitating to be vulnerable is of course self-censorship, and that's no path to go down (it gets narrow near the end). You can also ask: what's the worst that can happen. Someone will read it and think you don't know what you're talking about. Or they'll troll you. Or generally say bad things. Or decide never to read you again. I find an analogy in why it's always best to tell the truth to the best of your ability: you can never be called on it. Whereas if you're an inveterate liar, or a people pleaser, you (in the sense of "one") will always have to be explaining yourself and backtracking and changing your views and, worst of all, saying something even though you don't believe it. Again, I like this change. I didn't like the previous article very much that you referred to. But I now look forward to seeing you with your hatz off ...
I needed this today. Actually, I need this every day! I'm trying to be more open, and it seems to be working, but the fact that it's working so well is scaring the hell out of me. How much of ME do I have to expose in order to keep my readers, and when is enough enough? Or too much?
I've been an opinion writer for ages, so it's not like my readers don't know what I'm thinking. But what I'm feeling? That's a whole other ballgame.
I'm more used to analyzing how others might feel than I am in analyzing myself for public consumption. You make good points here, Diane. I'm going to go off and ponder them...
You know what sound like? A WRITER!! We’re all afraid of those things. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing openly and honestly!! That’s The Juice 🧃
❤️❤️❤️
The Black Snake of Wounded Vanity
https://blacksnakeofvanity.substack.com/
I like this change. Please, please be vulnerable. Spill, Diane, spill. I've reached a point in my life, partly due to successful therapy and partly due to age—my dead grandfather, beloved Billy, used to talk about being "as old as Methuselah's goat" (who, Methuselah not the goat, died at 969 years old according to the always-accurate Bible)—I don't fear being vulnerable any more. Now, I have some opinions about some hot-button issues that I would not share broadly, but in general terms I say what I want. As you allude to, it is very psychologically healthy to do so. Very liberating. I am an intelligent person, as you are, and my view is as likely to be accurate, or to resonate with people, as anyone else's. And of course the important thing is that it doesn't matter whether it resonates with others. If it's what you feel and believe, that's all the legitimacy you need. The risk of hesitating to be vulnerable is of course self-censorship, and that's no path to go down (it gets narrow near the end). You can also ask: what's the worst that can happen. Someone will read it and think you don't know what you're talking about. Or they'll troll you. Or generally say bad things. Or decide never to read you again. I find an analogy in why it's always best to tell the truth to the best of your ability: you can never be called on it. Whereas if you're an inveterate liar, or a people pleaser, you (in the sense of "one") will always have to be explaining yourself and backtracking and changing your views and, worst of all, saying something even though you don't believe it. Again, I like this change. I didn't like the previous article very much that you referred to. But I now look forward to seeing you with your hatz off ...
I needed this today. Actually, I need this every day! I'm trying to be more open, and it seems to be working, but the fact that it's working so well is scaring the hell out of me. How much of ME do I have to expose in order to keep my readers, and when is enough enough? Or too much?
I've been an opinion writer for ages, so it's not like my readers don't know what I'm thinking. But what I'm feeling? That's a whole other ballgame.
I'm more used to analyzing how others might feel than I am in analyzing myself for public consumption. You make good points here, Diane. I'm going to go off and ponder them...