A short monologue by Connor Beaton explaining the psychological "shadow"—the hidden, repressed parts of oneself (insecurities, fears, discarded strengths)—and arguing that partners often embody parts of one’s shadow; understanding and integrating the shadow is necessary for deeper sexual and emotional intimacy.
You will always attract someone who embodies and represents a part of your personal shadow. The shadow. It's the hidden, the repressed parts of you, the parts of you that you have deemed unnecessary, unacceptable, unworthy, unlovable, unlikable. So you hide them. You reject them. These are your insecurities. These are your fears. These are your doubts, your worries. But the shadow isn't all bad. You also put not just the bad parts of you into the shadow, but through different circumstances. Circumstances and events that can happen when we're growing up. You can discard some of your positive strengths. You can discard some of your power, some of your potency. In order for you to have the quality and the depth and the kind of relationship that you ultimately want sexually, in the communication emotionally, you have to be able to go into your shadow and understand how it's impacting your life and your relationship.
How to Raise Strong, Unshakable Boys in Today's Culture, with Dr. Shefali Tsabary
