I have an idea that I haven’t fully fleshed out yet. Writing and processing with someone else both help me in that process though, so here goes…I realize that “authenticity” is a sort of buzzword nowadays, but it seems to me that there are huge limitations in what “authenticity” is encouraged and what is squashed down in most circles. As long as whatever negative thing you are saying about yourself is not criminal or terribly perverse, then people often applaud others for “opening up” about themselves. There are times when the effect reminds me a lot of the reason why people loved “freak shows” and why many rubber neck for car wrecks. Other times, it seems to me people feel either validated or comforted by their own superiority in hearing about someone else’s negative life situation or character traits. (I am not trying to discourage anyone from sharing. I think there can be some beautiful things that come out of being open about your brokenness too. I've even blogged about that b...