One of the things I& #39;ve learned in trauma therapy is "hyper-vigilant pattern observation" happens to be a pretty common reaction to prolonged abuse. And I think I see that played out on the TL every day. People see patterns where they are none to maintain the illusion of safety.

I get it. We really want to think we know what pain & suffering looks like in human form, and it feels safer to believe we can see it coming down the street. But it& #39;s not actually making us any safer AND it& #39;s limiting our imagination for the possibilities of humanity.

At some point the need for that false sense of control--the addiction to certainty--made my world so small, I couldn& #39;t leave my bedroom. Pretending to be certain didn& #39;t save me, and I don& #39;t think it& #39;ll save any of us.

My feelings were valid, my trauma affirmed, and my reactions were understandable. In trying to live the life I want(ed) to live I had to accept all the things I couldn& #39;t possibly know for sure about any person except myself. Understandable ≠ Reasonable.

I see a lot of understandable anger & frustration here. It makes sense! But don& #39;t let it become the protective performance that keeps you from imagining a better world & better times ahead. If you can imagine it, you can work backward & map what it& #39;ll take to get there.