Psychology · Chapter 15 · Simon: trauma & survival
The Weapon Slipped
The invulnerability of one who accepted the verdict
“The last weapon slipped from his hands.” “Sick”, “coward”, “selfish piece of shit” — Jacob runs through the whole arsenal, and not one word catches: “I know.” “Maybe.” “Yes.” Shame wounds only while a person is defending an image of himself. Simon signed every verdict in advance — and became invulnerable to insults.
It matters to see the price of this invulnerability: it is not healing and not strength, but the capitulation of self-worth — armor made of agreeing with the worst about oneself. In real people this armor is common and sounds like “nothing can touch me anymore”. Indeed nothing can — not because it healed, but because the person stopped arguing with the pain. That state is an alarm signal, not a victory.
