The Desire to be Understood

Sometimes back, I always had this desire to feel understood. When I shared my thoughts, feeling or experiences, I always had a fear of being misunderstood and always thought that explaining it with the correct words makes someone understand it.

Recently I learnt that people understand you based on how deeply they understand themselves. When it comes to topics that touches vulnerability, and even psychological complexity and someone hasn't reflected deeply on their own emotions, struggles, they may lack inner knowledge to understand what you are explaining.

It's then that I realized you can't really force someone to understand. This was liberating in some way because I stopped trying to translate my soul for everyone. I conserve that energy for those who are willing to meet me where I am.

I now understand that not everyone will appreciate depth and it's okay. The right people, the ones that will meet you, will find you and understand the language that you speak.

People can only meet you as deeply as they've met themselves.
Matt Kahn