For some time now, though I’ve grown accustomed to practising it in person, I’ve struggled to summon the courage to communicate with full authenticity. In truth, I’m not sure I’ve spoken with radical honesty since my school days. There has always been some form of self-censorship at play. Shaped by the forces of culture, profession, or the unspoken codes of formality.
As the past years of self-exploitation have shown, the further I’ve stretched in search of my own perspective, the more I’ve withdrawn my inner voice from the world. The one that aligns most closely with my true nature and sense of being. Why? Because it is radical. Not in the sense that it promotes extremist views, but simply because it does not conform to the compounding consensus of polite society.
We are told that we live in an age of freedom, where we have the right to express ourselves and pursue individualism. But the reality is far removed from that ideal. At least for the average man or woman. For those without the means to elevate themselves socioeconomically, or to build platforms that insulate them from the consequences of thinking or speaking outside the mainstream.
Even the so-called “hot topics” of today are curated for safe consumption. The limits of debate are pre-drawn. Today’s polarising subjects like immigration or Gaza serve, ultimately, to reinforce establishment narratives. But before I drift too far into the rabbit hole of transitory geopolitics, or the guiding philosophies of our modern era, I need to pause and reframe. Otherwise, I risk sinking into the emotional mire of what our culture has come to label as “outrage porn.”
In fact, I am going to stop it here. Because I did not come here today to delve into and communicate the thoughts of my mind. Though today’s meditations were valuable. Instead, I will just make this promise. That I will from this moment onwards, regardless of how others may perceive my voice. Or, when in my low spells, disdain it myself. I will write. I will publish. I will communicate my authentic voice to the world. Not for money, nor attention, nor any other quagmire of the flesh.
With time, the caged bird will learn to fly again. But, what is more, I pray it meets you there.