I was just watching a youtube on Jungian personas and masks. The problem, Jung said, is that people put on masks to gain love and acceptance but hide their true authentic selves. Over time, they forget who they really are and become their mask.
The video was about how to remove the mask and discover your true self, but all I kept thinking was “love and acceptance? just for putting on a mask? how can I learn this skill?”
Follow up: can you be loved and accepted without being understood?
Yes and it is what is what sometimes is called “unconditional love”
Loving someone regardless of understanding is one of the strongest display of acceptance that can be demonstrated.
Its hard to find though, but once you do find good empathic people with an open mind you will know the difference and be capable of letting go of the people who are making you feel like you do.
Hm. I honestly don’t want love unless it comes with understanding. How could you love something if you don’t even know what it is?
My husband doesnt unterstand why I, every day, sing loudly, make goofy sounds, odd sounds, sometimes uh, randomly just bite him (gently) and all my wierd little expressions. He doesnt understand why I do it, what I get out of it, or any of that.
What he does understand is it makes me happy, I make him laugh, (once in a while I do annoy him) but he loves me and my wierd bullshit, without understanding it fully. He doesnt sing, nor dance, nor play, like I do. So he doesnt understand my impulse, but loves me for who I am, and all that entails.
I know this isn’t the same as a friendship or intimate partnership developed between adults, but there are a lot of times I don’t understand my (teen and adult) kids, but I will always love them.
If you are able i recommend getting a dog to get an example of honest love without need to understand.
The same example can be seen with kids. (Normal) Parents love their child regardless of whether it’s old enough to be understood.
Children themselves can just like dogs show tremendous honest love for people things they have no capacity to understand.
What makes unconditional love so special is precisely that it is unconditional. Requiring “something” in order to show love is not love but a social business transaction.
sometimes, yes.