Personal & Social Education
Vulnerability
Vulnerability. According to the dictionary, ‘vulnerability’ is being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally. Most of us (if not everyone) shy away from being vulnerable. After all is it not basic human extinct? No one want’s to be placed in a position where they could possibly be hurt. To me – being vulnerable is akin to dropping your shield and leaving yourself open to attack. What we might have never considered is that perhaps not everyone is out to attack. And maybe it takes getting rid of that shield in the first place to see that.
Furthermore, being vulnerable might not solely affect us. To show empathy to others, you need to have the courage to be vulnerable yourself. How can you truly empathise with someone else when you cannot expose your own flaws and imperfections? Through vulnerability, we can show the people closest to us that we trust them and that they can trust us. It can help us to build intimacy in our relationships.
To me, being vulnerable is no easy feat and I know it will not come to me immediately. However, I believe that the first step is awareness. I believe taking this step is progress for me. After that it is simply a matter of time and effort to learn.