I read this in a book tonight and it made me stop and wonder how true this is. Do we ever really know someone? All of them? Even in those we consider our closest friends and confidants, what lies beneath the surface?
We all keep parts of us to ourselves. It may feel too risky to show another human being our most vulnerable side. We fear judgement by others. We fear that giving voice to our darkest parts may make them more unbearable. Who wants to share these fears, imperfections and shortcomings? So we often bottle them up and stow them below the water's surface (iceberg). I always laugh when the news interviews the neighbor who lives next door to a horrific act. They seem to say the same things..."They seemed like such nice people." "He was a quiet guy who kept to himself." "I can't believe she was capable of such a thing!" Again, how much do we really know about someone else? How much do we want to know?
If we have a couple of people in our life that we can lower that ninety percent down, even just a little, we are lucky. Melt your iceberg a little. I dare you!
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