Nov 21st, 2021: Fake-ness and Its Consequences
It was a known fact that Robin Williams struggled with depression because he admitted to it. Even his courageous acknowledgement did not help him in the end.
We all know that saying "fake it until we make it". It is not a healthy approach, and yet many people have adopted it as their coping mechanism.
Fake-ness is a critical source of stress. People pretend that marriage is ok. We learn to save because of pride. We don't have the freedom to admit that things are not going well in life. We masquerade our pains with addictions and other unhealthy behaviours.
Fake-ness kills authenticity and meaningful relationships. It provides us no safe passage to travel toward the future together. We end up experiencing an incredible emptiness. Fake-ness is the domain of nothingness at the end.
Fake-ness is expected somehow in our society. It is an expectation that leads us to both deep resentment and depression. Somehow we are not allowed to be in touch with our true feeling. Fake-ness and conformity are going together at times.
So be kind and be generous in spending time with one another. Be a good listener and learn how to listen to unspoken messages. Languages of pain can be so diverse. People can succumb to their unfathomable anguish without knowing how to cry for help.
Philippians 2: 3-5
"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus."