After writing that post yesterday I was reading my Kahlil Gibran anthology and came across this little gem:

“Between what is said and not meant, and what is meant and not said, most of love is lost.”

which pretty much sums it all up. And with far more eloquence than I could muster. I have long thought that when we censor ourselves the greater part of our authentic self is lost in the act of suppression. I know we do this to protect ourselves, and often we project this onto the other and say “it will hurt them so I wont say it.” When really we are avoiding our own discomfort or pain.

Similarly, when we suppress an emotional response to protect someone else, Really that is just the lie we tell ourselves to avoid the full expression of our distress and the accompanying pain. Which ironically, if we allowed ourselves to feel we would move through, and in allowing our distress we might even enlist the support of others in that journey.

Ironically by supressing our own feelings we prevent the possibly loving interaction, as well as avoid our fear or rejection.