Today I was listening to some lectures about the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In them, the professor mentioned that an important aspect of Nietzsche's philosophy was that it was jarring, that it called many people's preconceived views into question and forced them to think about them again. Nietzsche believed that we must be willing to risk losing friends and experiencing isolation in the pursuit of fully expressing our own truths. I couldn't agree more.
Naturally, I know I have much more of myself to discover and share. Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that, "We but half express ourselves, and are ashamed of that divine idea which each of us represents." I have often wondered what fraction of my truth is communicated to my family and friends. I consider myself an honest and independent soul, but a private one. When I reflect on the parts of myself that I keep secret, or for which I am ashamed, I pity the image of myself "half expressing"...anything, especially my heart. I need more boldness in my life!
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