Being open to experience, to life, and to relationships sounds so good doesn't it? And who in their mind categorically says no to that? However, there is a part of our mind that does just that. Whether in every day life or in therapy, while we consciously want to grow and experience more, a part of does not. This part, which we call our defense mechanisms, wants to protect us from harm. Depending upon our personal sensitivities and varying life experiences, we may go to great lengths to shut down our very efforts to grow, to experience freedom, and to more freely relate with others. So it turns out that we are far more conflicted than we think we are. In therapy and other forms of growth producing experiences we need to learn about this defensive part of ourselves so we can see how that part of our mind operates and see more clearly that we have a choice. I want to highlight one thing further about this. This means that this "defensive" and at times, somewhat sabotaging part of ourselves is not who we are, but merely protective armor. The essence of who we are tends to be shielded by our defenses, and in growth, we learn not only about our defenses, but how to have more flexible defenses in order to venture further in our life experience...NEXT TIME: More on the anxiety that challenging our defenses to risk more produces...MY WEBSITE
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