The Saturday Compendium 9: The Body is Not An Apology (and more)
I trawl through the highs and lows of culture and ideas, so you don't have to.
The Saturday Compendium is where I round up a few of the things that have interested me in one way or another this week. Some cool, some not so cool, some that have made me think, some that have inspired me to action, some that have shaken me out of a rut. Some old, some new, all borrowed, some possibly blue. But whatever else, they’re all things I think you might find interesting too.
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The thing that we think we want is not what we want. What we want is the thing on the other side of it.
What’s on the other side of the thing YOU want?
“Sonya Renee Taylor is a New York Times best-selling author, world-renowned activist and thought leader on racial justice, body liberation and transformational change, international award winning artist, and founder of The Body Is Not an Apology (TBINAA), a global digital media and education company exploring the intersections of identity, healing, and social justice through the framework of radical self-love. In her book of the same name, The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love, Sonya lays out her radical self-love vision, arguing that all people arrive on this planet in a state of self-love before internalizing messages of shame and injustice from systems of oppression. Healing, Sonya suggests, takes place through reconnecting with our inherent divine enoughness, transforming how we live in and relate to both our bodies and the bodies of others. Sonya writes, “Using the term ‘radical’ elevates the reality that our society requires a drastic political, economic, and social reformation in the ways in which we deal with bodies and body difference.”
Have you read it? What did you think?
Take a look at these paradoxes:
Honesty doesn't have to happen in the moment
“Honesty is fundamentally about telling the truth, but choosing the right moment to do so is essential. The timing of when you share the truth can make a significant difference in how it is received and understood. Speaking honestly at the appropriate time helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that your message is clear and constructive. It’s not just about being truthful, but also about being considerate and strategic, ensuring that honesty builds trust rather than causing unnecessary harm or confusion.”
What I’ve been listening to
How about you? What are you enjoying at the moment?
I liked most of the Body is not an apology book, but last chapter(s) was more like rant about all the things author in the beginning said she is not supporting/doing. It sounded like demagogy / politics / radicalism which was very tiring and destroyed overall impression (at least for me) of the whole book. So you can skip last 1-2 chapters or ignore them then book is very enjoyable.