The Dark Art of Pretending You Are Fine - Darius Foroux

Admitting to yourself that you are upset or in pain can make you feel exposed. You fear that acknowledging a bad feeling gives it more power. The pain might get worse. You might not be able to tolerate it.

When you have negative emotions, your first response is usually to downplay them or to run away.

There’s a scale that runs from one extreme, stubbornness, to the other extreme, paranoia. You don’t want to run to the doctor or stay in bed on the slightest ailment. But you also don’t want to pretend nothing is wrong when your headache lasts for years.

Put it out in the open. By labelling what you’re going through, you will not only feel better about the situation, you’re more likely to find a solution. The last thing you want is to pretend you’re fine when you’re not. 

Some people are absolute masters in that. They convince everyone that everything is fine. But it’s not something to be proud of. It’s a dark art that can have serious negative consequences. 

Instead of keeping your ailments in the dark, bring them out to the light. They won’t survive for long there.