The video is titled, The Weakness of Strength. Using whimsical graphics, de Botton explains how we can have better relationships if we accept the shadow side of people’s virtues.
“Every strength that an individual has, necessarily brings with it a weakness of which it is an inherent part.”
Therefore, no one can be perfect because “it is impossible to have strengths without weaknesses.”
This idea has helped me judge myself less harshly. I have always felt guilty about not seeing the people I love more often, for taking a long time to reply to their emails, and for disconnecting from society in general for long periods of time. But I’ve now realized that the issues that make me a distant friend, become qualities that help me become a better artist: focused discipline, obsesive determination, and a need for solitude. Perhaps one day I will find peace in this dichotomy.
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