Have you ever reacted to something and afterwards wondered why it affected you so strongly?
Perhaps someone made an innocent remark, yet you felt criticised. Or a perfectly ordinary situation brought about an unexpected sense of discomfort.
Sometimes the explanation is obvious.
Other times, it isn't.
Our experiences, memories, expectations and beliefs can influence how we interpret the present. And not all of those influences are immediately available to conscious awareness.
Years ago, I became fascinated by the possibility that some of our strongest reactions might be connected to experiences we no longer clearly remember.
I also came to recognise how easy it is to construct an explanation simply because we want one.
So perhaps the more interesting approach is not to assume every reaction has a hidden meaning.
It's to remain curious.
What am I actually experiencing? What am I assuming? And is there another way of looking at what just happened?