You Don’t Know Me

You don’t really know me.

Those words can be like a shield to protect the person saying them. When judged by another person, we protect ourselves by claiming that the other person does not really know us but only knows the version of us they can see. Maybe it’s even the version of us they created in their minds and not who we really are. We are complicated people with layers and masks that protect us and separate us from others, but that protection can also lead to isolation and loneliness. “You don’t really know me.”

If they knew the real me, would they walk away? If they knew the real me, would they choose to spend time with me? If they knew the real me, would they love me?

Fear of rejection will keep us from exposing our true selves to others; rejecting our facades will hurt, but rejecting who we are at our core would be devastating. However, if the other person is never given the chance to know who we really are, can they really love us? Connection is possible because of vulnerability, but vulnerability is scary. If you want to know more about when your mask of protection is doing more harm than good, Contact Us.