By Marie-Dominique Rail

Posted on August 7, 2021

Some people will never see your depth and your pain because they only see what makes them comfortable. Don’t take it personally. It’s more about them than you.”

It can be deeply painful when others overlook the vastness of your inner world—the silent struggles, the resilience born of hardship, the beauty shaped by wounds no one sees. 

Often, people are only able—or willing—to meet you at the level of their own comfort, not your truth. They may sidestep vulnerability, dismiss complexity, or avoid emotional honesty, not out of malice, but because they haven’t yet developed the capacity to hold space for it.

This doesn’t mean your experiences are invalid or unworthy of recognition. It means their perspective is limited by their own fears, defenses, or unhealed places. When someone can only acknowledge the parts of you that fit neatly into their understanding, it reflects more about their emotional range than your significance.

Resisting the urge to internalize their limitations is an act of quiet strength. Choosing not to take it personally is not about detachment—it’s about self-preservation. It’s a form of compassion toward yourself that says, “I honor my depth, even when others can’t.”

By continuing to show up for yourself with honesty and grace, you naturally draw in those who are willing to meet you in the fullness of who you are. These are the people who will not flinch at your truth, but instead, recognize it as beautiful and whole.

You are not diminished by being misunderstood. Your value is not contingent on being seen clearly by everyone, but on remaining faithful to your own journey. There is great dignity in being yourself, even—especially—when that self is not fully understood.