Revealing your vulnerability is like being an onion and exposing your inner most layer to others and in some cases, the whole world. We all have the capacity to be vulnerable.
From my knowledge, vulnerability is the ability to expose oneself despite the possible chance of being judged. Vulnerability has its power and although many may view it as weakness, it is usually the complete opposite. In being vulnerable, you realise a few truths that I share below.
You become more authentic and are able to express your emotions more fully and not bottle up your feelings. How many of us have been told that it is a weakness to show emotions? In revealing how we truly feel to others, we are able to engage genuinely with them and this may have a domino effect. Perhaps after revealing our truth to others they will in turn disclose their innermost thoughts to those around them.
Nowadays, the world we live in classes the epitome of a well rounded human being as being ‘strong’. The pressure to appear to have strength, despite all the underlying traumas that we gain from exhibiting it makes us put on a facade. We do not express what we view as weaknesses because we have to continue being strong.
You realise that our ability to be vulnerable is also based on gender roles and expectations. Gender roles make it more difficult for men to express their feelings. Most men are taught from childhood that emotions are feminine and they should ‘not cry and be strong’.
As human being, we are socialised to behave in certain ways from birth and this is just one example of it. Masculinity, which is defined as the characteristics and also qualities of men is beginning to shift slowly. More and more men are becoming more vulnerable and revealing who they really are in spite of the label of the archetype of a male as being powerful and emotionless.
Additionally, you question why vulnerability is even viewed as a weakness. With regards to how men are programmed from birth to be strong, it is interesting to consider why displaying your emotions openly would be viewed as ‘weak’.
As far back as I can remember, I have always been sensitive. That is, I have always felt very deeply about almost everything in this world. I basically feel my way through life and this is just a part of who I am. In school and growing up I have been told that I should not be so sensitive or emotional because it is ‘dangerous’ and can lead to my downfall. I found it strange because, how can something that I was obviously born with be bad for my progress? Clearly we are designed with all that we need for life from the time we are born (not talking about the material but more so our inner-selves).
I believe being vulnerable and displaying our emotions helps us connect better with those around us and understand them more. My experience as a ‘sensitive’ person shows me that we are all sensitive – some of us let life harden us and some of us try our best to suppress these sensitivities.
Embrace who you are my friend, this will make you feel so free to live life on your terms and not on societies expectations.
Planting Soul Seeds 