When we think about censorship, our first thought probably goes to internet censorship by the government or censorship on an institutional level such as in an educational setting. However, we usually never consider the fact that you might be censoring yourself.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CENSOR YOURSELF?

Self-censorship is the act of suppressing a part of yourself or choosing not to disclose a perspective or opinion you hold, due in part to fear of other people’s reactions. An exact definition could be found here. In essence, when you self-censor you HIDE a part of yourself.

WHY DO WE CENSOR OURSELVES?

We censor ourselves around people for different reasons maybe because we just do not think they will understand or fear of retaliation or fear of them seeing you in a different way. And in our minds these feelings are all valid. Sometimes for your survival you have to self-censor your self maybe to get a job, fit in at school, be accepted by your parents and more. However the constant underlying issue is it hurts to not feel free to be yourself. This is probably why we tend to gravitate towards people and want to spend more time with people who allow us to be who we are. People who create a safe space for us, this could be in your family, your friends, your colleagues, etc.

WHY DO I CENSOR MYSELF?

Sometimes, I hide parts of myself because I do not think people would understand and I genuinely cannot be bothered to explain myself to them. Some days, I just want people to understand without me educating them. And I think some days we all feel like that.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

We try to maximize the safe spaces we have and reduce the “not so safe spaces” we are in. Ways you can maximize your safe space is by surrounding yourself with people you feel genuine connection with or know understand you and accept you for who you are. Another way to maximize your safe space is by actually taking time to explain to your friends your perspectives, beliefs, etc or simply educating them about parts of yourself. This is more difficult as there is a chance they would not understand, but remember there is a chance they will.

SUMMARY

Life is too short to not be free to be who you are, provided that person is not harming anyone else. And even if you have to self-censor yourself sometimes, ensure it is not something you do all the time as that means you are in a toxic environment. If the only safe space you have is your solitude, enjoy that as much as you can.