Of Monsters In Men: Confronting the Shadows
Men and women, of course. Titles and all that.
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
Monsters Are Real
I don't know when we as a collective decided to deny the existence of monsters, but they are absolutely real. We could go back to the dinosaurs or consider lions, tigers, and bears—oh my—or even what currently resides in the ocean.
However, I'm not sure if those can truly be classified as monsters. But monsters—monsters are real. We face them every day. You can classify monsters differently, of course, but that doesn't negate their reality. Anyone can be a monster, everyone has monsters within them, but the key is recognizing and believing that you can defeat them.
You can conquer these monsters. They are not invincible. Victory is possible. Running from them only makes them stronger.
The trick, as stated, is identifying them. Ignoring them makes them more dangerous and allows them to persist. When you ignore your monsters, you give them the chance to manifest within you—you become the very monster you denied or ignored.
That anxiety you feel, that jealousy, envy, anger, resentment—that's your monster. Self-obsession, the desire to possess what others have, wishing for the downfall of someone successful simply because you don't have what they do or you deem them undeserving, the urge to cheat and take what you haven't earned from those who have—these are the manifestations of monsters.
Monsters are real.
Ignoring a monster or pretending it doesn't exist is the worst response. It's crucial to pay attention, address these monsters directly, and eliminate them. At night, in your home, when something out of the ordinary occurs—bumps in the night might not be unusual, but when something truly out of place happens, do you hope it disappears, or do you investigate? If not, why?
Categorizing people who break into homes as monsters isn't far-fetched. Ignoring the problem or wishing it away doesn't prepare you, protect your family, or secure your home; it only leaves you vulnerable.
When investigating, you proceed room by room, turning on lights to illuminate and check that everything is as it should be. What you seek is something out of place, something that doesn't belong.
This approach is the same for the monsters lurking within you. Question yourself, investigate, identify what doesn't belong, and confront it. Ignoring that odd noise in the night is a mistake; it's often fear holding you back. Facing the possibility that you might be right about an intruder and doing nothing is far worse than addressing the issue head-on.
Imagine there is someone in your home with malicious intent. Not being prepared puts you and your family at risk.
Addressing a situation appropriately is key. If an intruder is armed, and you're not equipped to confront them directly, finding a way to safely evacuate your family is critical. The same applies to confronting your inner monsters—jealousy, envy, anger, resentment, and depression. These negative emotions are destructive and must be faced head-on.
Turning on lights as you inspect your house serves multiple purposes: it allows you to see clearly and know where you are. It also prepares you for when you need to revisit those areas, making it easier to spot anything out of place.
Sometimes, what you missed on the first pass becomes apparent upon a second look. This principle applies to both physical and metaphorical monsters. Recognizing and confronting them is the first step to overcoming them.
Knowing you need to confront these monsters is crucial. Illumination and understanding are the first steps toward defeating them. Identifying the monster allows you to understand it, and from understanding comes the ability to defeat it. The strategy might not be clear initially, but recognizing the monster is the first step.
Once identified, you can then figure out how to confront and dispel it.
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Loved this!
We have to own the monsters within us, control them, understand them, not pretend they don't exist.
Great article. Just a few thoughts that you got me thinking...
I think the fear of confronting monsters, is largely a fear of violence, the violence necessary to overcome them. Most people will do anything to avoid confrontation, particularly if that means confronting themselves. Once they've found the monster in the dark corner of their soul they would rather live with and ignore it, than accept the pain necessary to defeat it.
A violent man who acts in the cause of justice, has first of all done violence to himself. And a man who reproaches others who has not first reproached himself is the worst and the weakest kind of hypocrite.