Trauma and Essence

I hate the word “essence” but I’m too tired to look for a better one.

This is a very important point: trauma always brings out people’s true essence. Whatever one really is always comes out when one experiences a tragic event.

We often say, “No, that’s not who she really is. She only acts this way because of the trauma.” But the truth is that this is precisely who she is, and trauma has stripped her of the usual means that masquerade her essence.

After experiencing a horrible event, we look into the mirror and finally see who we really are. For some people, the discovery is unexpectedly good. For others, a glimpse into their true self is shockingly repugnant.