Examining Healing

Over the years I’ve needed to step back and unpack my “savior complex”. It’s easy to judge a way of being without bothering to understand where it comes from. Usually our behaviors comes from a really valid and reasonable place. They may not be helpful! But that doesn’t mean they’re not trying. For me, the intentions of my “savior complex” looked like; If I can “save the world”, then maybe I can be safe in the world.

The truth is that so much of how we are conditioned to relate to systems of oppression involves de-centering ourselves, abandoning ourselves, and getting into the business of fixing and saving other people in an attempt to create safety for ourselves. In the attempt to “save the world” we often get hooked into reinforcing the way things are.

How can a conversation that centers and emphasizes whiteness be effective in dismantling a paradigm that asks us to do the same?

How many times are we asked to celebrate movies and media that involve watching Black People brutalized in the interest of “opening [white] people’s eyes” or “waking [white] people up”. If something is traumatizing or re-traumatizing for us; then can you call it healing?

I don’t think so.

And so I’ve needed to re-examine what I believe healing to be, and where those beliefs come from. On the other side of that work I’ve concluded that the only thing I can reasonably be responsible for is healing myself and showing up as myself.

Not because it “saves” anybody; but because it liberates me.

We are conditioned to believe

That healing white people

Is our responsibility

But can someone please explain to me:

How’s that not white supremacy?