Understanding Isn’t Permission: The Difference Between Empathy and Self‑Abandonment

Healing is rarely a single moment of clarity. It’s a slow, layered, and deeply nuanced pilgrimage — one where we gradually become aware of the impulses that drive our own behaviours. As our self understanding deepens, something else often happens alongside it: we begin to grow curious about the origins of the hurtful behaviours of those we care about.