Back on Defense

We all have our strengths and weaknesses. There are certain things we excel at, whether it's a sport, an activity or simply a characteristic which shines just a little bit brighter than the rest. Similarly, we all have our shortcomings, things that we could be just a little bit better at. It might even be a person. This is natural, normal and expected. But what happens when your strength is the same as your weakness? What if the remarkable characteristic that distinguishes you from the crowd is the very reason for your downfall?

How is it that the very thing you love can transform into the thing you begin to despise? Is it a matter of allotment? Perhaps, we can only tolerate things within limitations, good or bad. After all, it doesn't take long for too much of anything good to turn bad. We begin to take the good for granted. We forget that things could be worse. We forget to appreciate.

However, is it fair to expect yourself or another to restrain, to obstruct themselves? Who is to determine the fine line between good and bad or between too much or too little? And even if someone is willing to hold themselves back and give you what you want, it's simply unfair to ask someone to hold their thoughts back, to hold their abilities back and ultimately, to hold themselves back.

Perhaps, these extremes are necessary in order for us to determine what it is that we seek. Everything seems tolerable within limits, but having to ability to bear something in an extreme can be a struggle. Maybe, life just likes to challenge us with severe versions and cases of the things we chase in order for us to ensure our desires. Many things seem attractive on paper, perhaps due to the direct opposition to the things we dislike or are used to or maybe it's simply the overall idea of it, but experiencing them can lead to a completely different view.

Bent and Broken

Ignorance is bliss, or so they say. I've always been against the idea. I feel that acceptance and confrontation make you stronger and help you move on, while ignorance is simply a sign of weakness.

After all, ignoring something just because it is difficult to admit makes you nothing more than weak, right? Does it change things if the confrontation will lead to deterioration rather than growth? Does it change things if the acceptance will snatch away all of the wonderful memories you like to reminisce upon every once in a while? Does it change things if it doesn't improve the present or the future but only eliminates the smiles of the past?

What if this will deplete all of the progress you have made recently and leave you backtracking rather than moving forward? What if this realization will only make all of this that much more difficult the next time around? What if this will change the way you look at the one person that matters? But most importantly, what if this will change the way you look at yourself because it will transform you into a hypocrite?

Ignoring certain conflicts doesn't necessarily signal weakness. It's all about choosing your battles. Fight for the things you believe in and as for the things that don't seem to be worth the consequences, just let them be. Every truth doesn't need to be vocalized, but know it in your heart and mind and act accordingly. Just because you choose not to act upon it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Could ignorance really be bliss? Maybe. 

"Follow your bliss, and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls."