Opening The Door To Vulnerability – Relationship Advice For Men
Stepping into new things can be equal parts challenging and rewarding. This is especially so when you are stretching yourself to build healthier habits. It takes time and concerted effort to make big changes. Becoming more vulnerable as a person might not be a goal you have set for yourself; however, vulnerability is a key component of every healthy relationship, and it can’t be sidestepped without risk. When the word “vulnerability” is mentioned, perhaps the image that is conjured up in your mind is of a circle of people around a fire, holding hands and singing a slow tune. Perhaps tears and other forms of emotional expression are present. This picture might be making you uncomfortable, and it might be the sort of thing that makes you want to steer clear of talking about vulnerability. What is Vulnerability? One way to describe vulnerability is to say that it is revealing who they are to another person. Who we are includes our emotions, weaknesses, thoughts, quirks, and a whole lot more. You’re being transparent about who you are, and not putting up a front. When we engage with other people we will often mask our true thoughts, desires, and emotions from others. This is a hangover from our first parents, Adam and Eve, who hid themselves from each other when sin entered the world (Genesis 3). We can’t always be sure that the people we’re interacting with have our best interests at heart, and so we shield ourselves from potential harm. If we are honest with ourselves, another reason we sometimes shield our true thoughts, desires, intentions, and feelings from other people is that we ourselves possibly intend harm to others. Whatever the reason behind it, we can end up not revealing who we are and what we truly feel [...]
