The most courageous thing

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We may be led to believe that acts of courage are always something very stoic, or something that can only be achieved by those who have great strength or courage.

But if we think about it, perhaps the most courageous acts are those that come from the purest hearts and souls.

There is nothing more beautiful than recognizing your own limits and that we need others. Man is a social being. There is nothing strange about his need to communicate and relate to others. For this very reason, one of the greatest punishments given to those who have committed very serious crimes is not only their detention, with their freedom to go wherever they want. Freedom is indeed one of the greatest assets we have, but if we remember some films that depict the reality of maximum security prisons, the greatest punishment that can be given is days in solitary confinement.

In addition to restricting movement, those who are punished in this way see one of man's greatest needs taken away from them. The need to be close to another person. To communicate. To listen. To be heard. Of course, many psychiatric disorders mean that there are individuals who have no empathy or desire to be close to another person, as is the case with antisocial personality disorder.

Having reflected on this briefly, I can perhaps conclude that the most courageous thing we can do is to ask for help.

“Help me.”

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of not wanting to give up. It is a sign that the battle you are about to face, although difficult, is not one you want to lose. It is a sign that you are looking to others for help with something you cannot overcome alone.

How many of us can demonstrate this same sign? Nowadays, superheroes are more than overrated. The non-human characteristics of these imaginary creatures have always fascinated us. Their ability to overcome the most difficult barriers. To possess abilities far beyond what any human being dreams of ever having.

But instead of focusing on something that isn't real, why don't we look at reality? Why don't we look at our reflection in the mirror and realize that we cannot live alone. With no one else around. That anything is possible when we really want it. I'm not saying that there aren't people without any psychiatric pathology or psychological disorder who feel better living alone.

But is this “false independence” really possible? I don't believe we can ever manage to depend on nothing and no one. While others see this possibility as paradise, I can't see anything idyllic about this idea.

By making our emotions and hearts as hard as stone, we lose the ability to grow closer to others... And in this way, we end up, in a certain sense, walling ourselves in. We put ourselves in a house with no doors or windows... Where nothing comes in. But where nothing comes out either.

I hope you enjoyed my little reflection for today.

I wish you all an excellent weekend!

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