We have a “life instinct” that pushes us to become individuals, competent and independent, and a “death instinct” that pushes us to be part of a family, community, or humanity. We also feel a certain fear of these two. The “fear of life” is the fear of separation, loneliness, and alienation; the “fear of death” is the fear of getting lost in the whole, stagnating, being no-one.
— Otto Rank
If there is one thing I’ve learned in thirty years as a psychotherapist, it is this: If you can let your experience happen, it will release its knots and unfold, leading to a deeper, more grounded experience of yourself. No matter how painful or scary your feelings appear to be, your willingness to engage with them draws forth your essential strength. — John Welwood
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