In the last few years, the concept of ‘no filter’ seems to have become something of a badge of honor in the sense that people express what they really mean without editing it for situational appropriateness. The public rant or dress down has become its own art form celebrated in reality TV and propelling many in politics to prominence. I’ll concede there is something liberating about being able to freely express what’s on your mind without concern for others. In some part, this art is an example of that. And yet, there is the social contract upon which an essential element of civilization rests. At either end of this spectrum, we can find examples of ill effects which may in part foster their opposite extreme. Consider the rantings of the unhinged lunatic and the oppression of the Spanish Inquisition. Somewhere in the middle there may be a healthy median that most of us cannot quite find. The resultant imbalance can change the nature of the inner self and suck the life out of you. It’s a difficult equilibrium.
