“Every person has a fundamental need of confiding his innermost thoughts and emotions to a person who can understand, give support and keep the confidence to him/herself. This need arises out of the constant adjustment one is forced to make to changing social conditions right from infancy to adulthood, so that one may be considered as an acceptable member of the community. These demands of adjustment evoke covert resentments leading to growing tensions within. These tensions, in their turn, are experienced primarily as anxiety which the person leans to reduce by various means at her/his disposal. Confiding is not of the most important means of reducing this tremendous load of anxiety and a good physician fills this role admirable well”.
Dhawale, 2010
The role of the listener and supporter used to be held by the tribe, the enlarged family, the group or the healer in aboriginal society. Having lost the support of elders and peers in the clan and with this the chance of telling stories of our life to people who care, we should rely on- and be relied upon as - friends and counselors to receive and give the essential support for a healthy growing and living.
I believe this could also support the idea that listening to your children after their day at school is fundamental to help them develop their confidence and sense of belonging to the group and to the society they are growing in and to help them grow free of internal tensions and anxieties.
