A quick reminder to men and women: You are not your age, name or gender; you are your shits and cries.

Marina Abramović believes that it is not a pity or shameful to cry. The problem is crying alone. She says, “Don’t not cry. Cry. But cry in front of everybody.”

Our society fears the exposition of our emotions. Vulnerability is considered a downfall. A defeat. A crush of the superhero image we create of ourselves.

In an interview, Abramović states, “People like to create the best image of themselves and then hide the shit, but my whole idea is to expose everything. Human beings have to be honest about themselves and others,” she says forcefully. “It’s okay that we’re not perfect. It’s okay that we all have problems.”

The bottom line is: do not be scared to show your shit.

You are not your age, your height, your colour, your clothes, your hair or your name. You are the books you read, the sweet squeak in your laughter, the tears you cry, the people you know, the dreams you dream, the pictures on your wall. You are defined by what you are, not by what you are not. You are your shits and cries—not the Super Mario image society forces upon you.

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Author: Akram Al Deek

Editor: Caroline Beaton

Photo: Flickr