You Should Be Terrified of Not Expressing Yourself
Recovering Overthinker
Expressing yourself is scary because it feels like showing your true self to others. But not expressing yourself is even worse because it causes inner conflict and despair. Being authentic and creating is important for your mental and emotional well-being.
8 Nov 2025
Over a century before Jungians pointed out the danger of ignoring and avoiding your creative potential, Danish philosopher and the godfather of Existentialism, Soren Kierkegaard said that the deepest form of despair is “to choose to be another than oneself.”
And what is any form of self-expression and creation other than choosing to be yourself? It’s the journey of honoring what is in you, not the journey of chasing acknowledgements and accolades. It’s authenticity.
“If you destroy the creative impulse, you will destroy the intrinsic value of the individual at the same time. But you can still live on as a wall decoration.”
-Carl Jung