Think of one of those Chuck Close self-portraits. The face takes up the entire image. You can see every pore. Some people try to introspect like that. But others see themselves in broader landscapes, in the context of longer narratives about forgiveness, or redemption or setback and ascent. Maturity is moving from the close-up to the landscape, focusing less on your own supposed strengths and weaknesses and more on the sea of empathy in which you swim, which is the medium necessary for understanding others, one’s self, and survival.
~ David Brooks, Introspective or Narcissistic?
Notes:
- Don’t miss David Brooks entire article in the NY Times here: Introspective or Narcissistic?
- Image: Chuck Close self-portrait from Cleveland State Art.
Live & Learn 
kindness is a life-saving raft on a sometimes stormy sea.
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Yes…
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Perfect (and David Brooks and I don’t always agree – not that he knows or cares particularly…)
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Oh, I think he cares a great deal. 🙂
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Fascinating article, since I’ve journaled all my life.
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And, you are leaving us hanging. Which side are you on?
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Neither and Both. There’s a way to journal as an Observer, to vomit out the crap in your head and then stand back and look at it with curiosity and compassion. It’s not indulgence. For me, it’s a way to clarity.
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Smiling. Love how you have framed that…
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Lovely…esp liked “more on the sea of empathy in which you swim”…
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Me too Vicki. Especially that line.
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