T.

“Man, as we realize if we reflect for a moment, never perceives anything fully or comprehends anything completely.”
― C.G. Jung, Man and His Symbols

“That image, of the self, does not belong equally to everyone. As a woman, I must keep myself under constant surveillance: how do I look as I rise from the bed, and while I walk through the store buying groceries, and while I run with the dog in the park? From childhood I was taught to survey and police and maintain my image continually, and in this role—as both surveyor and the image that is surveyed—I learned to see myself as others see me: as an object to be viewed and evaluated, a sight.”
― Lacy M. Johnson, The Other Side: A Memoir

“Being in the same physical space does not necessarily mean that you are here and present with the people you are near. When you are with your partners, are you really focusing on them and giving your full attention, or are you distracted by your phone, by the stresses from the day, by your worries about the future or by your other partners? Are you really listening to your partners when they talk, or are you thinking about other things, only partially listening or mentally preparing for what you want to say next?”
― Jessica Fern, Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy

“Being present is not just putting your phone down for a few minutes. It is a way of being, from interaction to interaction, where you consciously inhabit your own body and show up with the best of your attention, offering your presence as a gift.”
― Jessica Fern, Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy