Red Light Runners
Cognitive Dissonance – The Battle Of The Two Selves
Your Shadow Self seems to be doing such a good job of running your life. Seeming strong and definite, presenting so well to the outside world. It’s your SS that can keep up appearances and fend off any doubts by playing the necessary games and working really hard… (you know, those games that Mr Incredible wants to play with you, and all the work he gives you to do). You can’t see your LSS doing as good a job as your SS. Maybe this is the influence of Mr Incredible, or maybe it’s another hidden fear of some kind. Maybe you never really got to know your LSS the way you think you did. Perhaps, when you were growing up, you didn’t have any true or healthy mirrors around you, ones that weren’t full of cracks themselves, to show you how great your LSS really is. You just can’t imagine, that she would be any good in the lead. It’s a frightful thought for some reason, maybe because she appears so soft and gentle, you can’t imagine her showing firm resolve, courage and strength in the face of danger. Your SS seems the better candidate for this kind of living.
You listen as your feeble LSS is talking to you…. “I know he says he loves you so much, I can see he really admires you, needs you and wants to spend all of his spare time with you. He can be reliable, he’s successful and everybody else seems to think he’s great too, (mainly because you tell them he is).” Her voice builds slightly as she gains confidence.
“But you’re tired all the time, you have knots in your stomach, you feel insecure and you don’t really know what goes on when you are not around because has lied so many times about so many things. He subtly puts you down and then builds you up again. He changes moods so quickly and when you are feeling especially happy, he shuts you down. He makes you cry at least three times a week and he never says sorry, because it’s your fault that he hurts you. And you know this is the very least of it, he’s called you awful names for no reason, he points out other people’s attributes and compares them with your own short-comings, he’s snuck up behind you and kicked you in the back of your legs behind your knees, so your legs would go out from under you and shoved things in your face, he’s had secrets with other girls, loaning them money and taking days off to help them without your knowing, and yet you keep all these things a secret from your friends, protecting him, why?”
“Uggh!” You put your hand up to stop your LSS from going any further, you know there’s a lot more and it gets worst but it’s making you tired just hearing it... (CLICK ANYWHERE TO CONTINUE READING ON RED LIGHT RUNNER'S WEBLOG)
