Understanding

From The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Sóhó, translated by William Scott Wilson

“One may explain water, but the mouth will not become wet. One may expound fully on the nature of fire, but the mouth will not become hot.
Without touching real water and real fire, one will not know these things. Even explaining a book will not make it understood. Food may be concisely defined, but that alone will not relieve one’s hunger. One is not likely to achieve understanding from the explanation of another.”

This was as true in the early 1600s as it is today and will be tomorrow. There is a necessity though to share experiences and partake of the sharing so that we can learn from each other and to grow as individuals. This is why I choose to share about my depression, to talk candidly about my mental health issues so that those who have the same problems know they are not alone. If in the telling, it helps others without mental health problems to gain some insight into what others might be experiencing and learn more about mental health then that is certainly not a bad thing.