Feelings are Legitimate Yet Might Not Reflect Truth
LaTonia Monroe Naylor
“Remember, our feelings aren't always an accurate assessment of what's true.”
That quote was recently discovered and inspired this Brief Exchanges feature.
What do you make of this statement? In the context of the paragraph in which it was written, it was not intended to be insensitive, rudely dismissive and lacking compassion.
It communicates that how we feel about our reality may not be what is happening and we should take comfort in knowing it.
LaTonia Monroe Naylor
Monroe Naylor Consulting, LLC
In the world of emotions, it’s like we each have our own unique storybook, and our feelings are the pages that reflect our individual tales.
Think of it as a mix of personal experiences, the stuff we’ve been through, and the way we see the world around us, especially when it comes to kids and families — the area I specialize in.
I’ve had to dive into different training areas, from understanding how trauma impacts people to being aware of different cultures and embracing concepts like diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).
Here's the scoop: the way we react to things, how we ‘feel,’ isn’t just a simple response. It’s like our emotions are this mix of everything we’ve been through, kind of like a playlist of life experiences. It’s not just about what happened; it’s also about how well we’ve learned to deal with it emotionally.
So, when we say someone feels a certain way, it’s not always a straightforward thing. It’s tied up with the ups and downs of their life story, the resilience they’ve built up over time and the skills they’ve picked up to handle all the twists and turns.
The big takeaway here is that emotions aren’t one-size-fits-all and they don’t always give us the full picture. Instead, they’re like clues that tell us about a person’s unique journey and how they’ve learned to handle things emotionally.
In a world where we often take emotions at face value, it’s worth understanding that there's more beneath the surface.
By digging into this mix of experiences and emotions, we get a better grip on what's really going on and can tell a more complete story about how people navigate the ups and downs of life.
