One of the mistakes I have made over the years is believing that if I could just show people facts and patterns clearly enough, they would see things differently.
But awareness does not work that way.
Awareness cannot be forced.
Not by me.
Not by you.
Not by Feldenkrais.
Not by any method, teacher, therapist, trainer, or professional organization.
Why?
Because limitations in self-awareness usually have a protective function. People do not avoid certain truths because they are ignorant. They avoid them because seeing too much, too quickly, would threaten the identity they have built their life around.
That does not mean we should hide things. It does not mean we should protect false public narratives. It does not mean we should pretend that professional organizations, teachers, or communities are healthier than they are.
But it does mean that forcing awareness usually fails.
Milton Erickson understood this deeply. In most cases, you cannot rip away a person’s protections. They have to develop the strength and resources to realize harsh truths on their own.
It is just as true in somatic work as it is in therapy.
And it is true in professional communities.
I still believe that open communication is healthier than secrecy. I still believe that the truth eventually gives us more options. I still believe that hiding from reality creates emotional, intellectual, and professional violence.
But no one can be forced to see, feel or move differently.
Awareness cannot be forced.
It can only be invited.
