Magicalprince,

Yes, you're very perceptive. One of my greatest struggles has always been fear that expressing my thoughts and feelings honestly would hurt other people's feelings or cause them to dislike me or reject me. As a child, I was often reprimanded for expressing any negative feelings, such as anger, need, fear, worry, etc. It was seen as "whining." I was also told often to "Grow up!" and that my feelings were stupid. My dad enjoyed pushing my buttons and getting me upset, and then would laugh when I got angry or cried.

I've actually learned to be much more open about my feelings with the help of years of therapy. So much so that now, I sometimes swing to the other end of the spectrum and am too harsh or angry in the way I express my feelings. I guess I never learned the right balance, so I am having to learn it now in my mid-50's.