Why Am I Afraid To Tell You Who I Am?
In John Powell’s Why Am I Afraid To Tell You Who I Am?, the author attempts to demonstrate how we often become isolated in lonely castles built from bricks of self-protection. This is because we are often afraid to tell others who we are, because they may reject us for who we are and it is all we have. According to Powell (12), we become imprisoned by fears and self-doubt which cripple the majority of us and prevent us from moving forward on the development road to maturity, happiness, and true love.
Because of out fears that people will not really like our true self, we assume various poses to avoid being honest with others. People often portray different characters with respect to this, from the “martyr” and “body beautiful” to the “clown” and “cynic”. Powell argues that only by facing our fears openly and honestly can we learn to like our real selves and trust that others will accept us for who we really are. Self-defeating visions must be changed through vision therapy that demands silence and solitude, openness to face life questions, and wiliness to change one’s perspective of life.
According to Powell we are actors but most people are reactors. To be an actor, one must be his or her own person to all people in all situations. Most people are tossed around at the mercy of chance by any wind blowing in their direction. We come up with all kinds of things to say during this chaotic type of existence according to Powell, “You really get to me”, “Her remark embarrassed me terribly”, “This weather really depresses me”, and “The very sight of him saddens me” (38-39). We will always remain in this situation without reaching out for relationships with others. It is Powell’s argument that only through relationships with those we love or with those we do not love, can be become a whole person. Only by using others as a sounding board can
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