Is there anything wrong with hiding your emotions? There’s no specific reply to this. However, Emotions are meant to be expressed as they are abstract. We can’t see them nor touch them, but only feel them. In other words, hiding them may not really be a healthy habit.
To understand the repercussion in hiding an emotions better, there are so many metaphors and analogies to use as an illustration.
Imagine carrying a heavy objects, along side with you while walking. What Effects would it have? It will restrict your movement right? So in other words, Its hard to move forward when you’re stuck with your emotions.
Imaging getting grip of a hot object and holding unto it for some minutes, when you should let it down, what clinging unto emotions does is to burn you causing you so much discomfort, pains and misery.
Imagine holding unto an item that causes you pain and discomfort, holding unto a hurtful past, not letting go of a past betrayal, hurt and pain will make you stuck forever in regrets.
Imagine carrying a heavy load, that is capable of weighing you down and then turning down the request to be assisted by people. Holding unto Emotions will get you so absorbed with burdens, even when there are opportunities to get relieved.
Contrary to some people’s assumptions, Emotional instability doesn’t emerge as a result of expressing one’s emotions. But knowing the best time to either let things out or keep them to oneself as hiding your emotions can lead to mental disorder.
Is hiding your emotions a healthy habit? Before proceeding further in proffering answer to this questions, we have to discuss some reasons why people hide their emotions.
Why do people hide their Emotions?
Fear of vulnerability:
This is one of the major reasons why people hide their emotions. Nobody wants to appear weak to avoid being trampled on or taken for granted.
In relationships, there’s this common assertion that once you express your feelings to someone, regardless of how they feel about you, they will take it for granted. While this may not be a subjective fact, there’s is a bit truth in it. It is in human nature to value things when they think there’s less chances or possibility of having them.
fear of vulnerability is another major reason why people tries to overcome familiarity in relationships . Everyone wants to feel wanted and desired. Many folks have complained of having their partners or spouse loose interest as soon as they became so transparent with their feelings. Another common complaint is having their partners intentionally hurt their feelings as soon as they found out about their intense feelings towards them.
EGO Boost.
This specifically affects men. Due to psychological nature, every man wants to be seen as independent and adventurous, this is what boosts their Ego and makes them feel respected among their friends, families and opposite gender .
Having the ability to solve their problem without involving anyone. In the bid to maintain the status, they will rather remain self absorbed with their pains than let it out.
Most times, these attitude is based on the assertion the society places on men, everyone sees them as the pillar to which every other person’s can rely on, without considering their own pains and burden.
Hence to keep this status, they become self absorbed and hide their Emotions every now and then.
Fear of being judged.
In some parts of the society, it is absurd for women to express how they feel towards a man, because men are typically known as the “hunter”.
We generally have this assertion that men ought to chase a woman, and not the other way round.
A man is meant to make the first move, a man is meant to chase a woman until she catches him(i.e becomes interested in him). This is how the universe made it though, but nevertheless, this fact can still be subjective, but unfortunately,the society never sees it as such. A lot of women have men they are crushing on and would love to open up to but the fear of rejection due to the stereotype we have about men being the hunter has always made them retract their decisions.
Most would rather absorb this feeling till it fades naturally or seek for ways to show green lights to their crush without looking desperate than to express their feelings outright.
Fear of rejection.
This affects both genders. Rejection is what we naturally have phobia for. No matter how confident and brave you’re, rejection will always make you question your self worth.
Rejection is like denial as result if incompetence. Such can lead to low self esteem. In relationships, some individuals will never express their feelings till they are certain that the recipient feels the same.
past hurtful experience.
A traumatic experience in the past can cause people to mask their emotions, the trauma may be accompanied with bitterness and resentments, which makes it difficult to let go .
A man who’ve had bad experience with women may find it difficult to trust women in subsequent relationships or probably find it difficult to go into any other relationships, and vice versa.
So many women have concluded that men are scum after opening up their feelings and emotions, but ended up getting jilted at the end. Hence they’ve vowed never to express their feelings till they are sure it is mutual.
Reasons why hiding your emotions is not a healthy habit and subtle ways to Express it without getting hurt.
You risk the possibility of meeting a nice person.
Hiding your emotions can hinder you from meeting someone who will value you and treat you nice. It is quite normal to switch off your feelings after going through some traumatic experience in relationships,
However, this is a limiting factor especially when you you’re still optimistic of changing the status quo. It is wrong to base your assumptions about a gender or a fact over an experience, whereas there are thousands of other good people you’re yet to meet. With such assumptions, you will become myopic to recognize good people with positive aspects when you meet them.or you may become doubtful even when there are enough evidence or convincing facts.
Retracting your interest is not always the answer, but giving yourself time to heal and reflect on your past experience, so you will learn how to handle the subsequent ones. Experience shouldn’t mar you, but make you.
You give people false impression about you.
Hiding your emotions can make people have the wrong notion about you. It is understandable that you may be trying to shield yourself from further hurt after having a bad experience in the past, nevertheless, they might misinterpret it, and assume that you’re cruel and mean.
You don’t have to shut your emotions completely or make yourself unapproachable in other to avoid hurts. The best way to shield yourself without hiding your emotions is to love, study and observe people from afar before opening up your Emotions or feelings to them.
you restrict assistance when needed
This particularly affect men or others who hide their emotions just to boost their ego or attract self confidence to themselves.
No man is an island, regardless of the gender. Sometimes, People get into depression because they are so absorbed to themselves to seek out for help from others. They don’t want to be known with the status of being weak and vulnerable. Hence, they would rather hide their pains, than seek for help.
While this may sound appropriate, it is vital to understand that there’s a thin line between pride and self confidence.
Pride means exhibiting an unreal identity about you for the purpose of maintaining a status to impress people, whereas, confidence means embracing the reality, by being transparent and open minded to new adventures and further knowledge, while maintaining your EGO.
It is confidence when you seek help in other upgrade your life. It is pride when you will rather remain stuck or get drawn because you want to proof a point.
You can’t move on.
Hiding your emotions can lower your chances of moving to the next phase of life. The more you hold grip of your past hurt, the tougher it gets to experience advancement in life.
Harbouring hurts and bitterness for a long time can lead to chronic depression . You will have greater opportunities eluding you simply because you based your assumptions on a single experience that wasn’t in your favour. It also alters one’s peace of mind and stability.
People who find it difficult to let go or forgive their offenders are one the most saddest in life, they are easily triggered by any factor because they have a huge burden piled up in their mind as a result of unforgiveness.
This goes to affect every aspect of their life including their relationship with others. By letting go, you’re paving way for new expectations, new adventures and blissful experience in the future. Hiding your emotions can be a thorn in your flesh without knowing.
