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Author: gscott2

My “Silenced Stories” Connection

My “Silenced Stories” Connection

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While listening to/reading this TEDx Talk, I found I could relate well to Hallward’s general topics.  As I explained in my previous post, I too have felt shame in the way Hallward describes as the desire to”go into the closet” (1:57).  I’m often hard on myself, and this especially showed through during my high school years. It was difficult for me to make friends then, and I mainly attributed this to the disloyalty of the people I met.  However, a part of me still blamed myself, telling me I just wasn’t good at human interaction, and this led me to isolate myself from others, which only lessened my social skills further.  Meanwhile, at home, I was gaining more responsibilities, and whenever I had to be corrected in the way I did a chore, I felt ashamed at not being able to perform a simple task, and would shut myself in my room.  Exactly like Hallward explained the feelings of those trapped in their own shame, I would “look out that crack of light and [I’d] see everyone else out there and they seem[ed] so normal and happy” (2:18).  This is what Hallward described as the ashamed person’s perspective: they would assume others were better off and above them. I observed the other students at my school with all their friends and apparently happy lives, as well as my mom able to do tasks with ease, and I felt pointless.

I was not at all surprised to find out that we would be reading about the topics of shame and treating others’ differences with understanding, as the issue of equality has been in the news a lot recently.  It’s especially apparent at the moment with more legislation dealing with LGBTQ rights.  Hallward, in fact, summarized this movement in remarking that “as gay/lesbian couples have been coming out of the closet for decades now, it becomes a larger political force” (9:00), showing us that by bravely revealing their secret, these people are standing up for others like them, which inspires more to come out and push for equal treatment.

All in all, I agree that shame is a serious health hazard, and I find Hallward’s mission to relieve others of the pain they keep inside through radio admirable.  Although I’m not ready to speak aloud about my problems, perhaps I’ll give some more of her talks a listen.

Citation
Hallward, Anne, “How Telling Our Silenced Stories Can Change the World”
A Simple Outlet for Complicated Stories

A Simple Outlet for Complicated Stories

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In her TED Talk, “How telling our silenced stories can change the world,” psychiatrist Anne Hallward suggests revealing personal stories about uncomfortable topics like sexuality can be beneficial to the health of both speakers and relating listeners, based on observations of her patients and others’ scientific research. However, since conversing about delicate subjects in person can be difficult, she then asserts that speaking through radio is “the perfect solution” to the issue of getting people to open up and thus heal by finding others who understand their problems.  According to Hallward, one reason radio is so effective an outlet is “…[S]hame is about visual exposure.  It’s about feeling like my badness is being observed and witnessed.”  Her point in mentioning this is that “visual exposure” doesn’t occur in dealing with radio because the speaker is unseen by the audience.  The speaker may even choose anonymity, reducing their desire to feel shame since the listener doesn’t know who’s telling the story.  Referring to the listener’s benefit, Hallward states “…[T]he listener is usually alone [when listening to the radio]…It’s a very private and therefore intimate medium.”  This allows listeners who can sympathize with the speaker to be openly relieved at finding someone with whom they can relate who was courageous enough to admit their story.
Based upon this evidence, I agree that radio shows promise in helping people to relieve their pain by sharing personal struggles.  This particular aspect of her talk struck me because it amazes me how such a simple, everyday thing as listening to the radio can have such a powerful psychological impact.  I know from personal experience that talking directly to someone about one’s problems is nerve-wracking, as well as the fact it can be difficult to listen to a story and admit it’s relatable with others present.
Citation
Hallward, Anne, “How Telling Our Silenced Stories Can Change the World”
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