we'll define "shadow" as the part you don't usually like others to see. The part that those close to you get to see, especially partner.
The interesting thing being, that my alter ego tends to come out on this forum and the internet in general. My prejudices, my arrogance, my narcissism, my childishness, If I am in the workplace, I try to hide my shadow. Modify my attempts at humour, my sarcasm gets watered down. I have been told "paper you are way too serious". well yeah that is my anxiety kicking in and I am afraid for you to see the real me, lest I end up getting fired.
I need to show you the state of my unmade bed, the dust on my bookshelf, my holey underwear, the neglected garden outside, some of the unpaid bills on the table, the lack of visitors that come to my house, my overreaction to small slights, my in general drama queen moments, the way I can demolish ice-cream and yoghurt. Yeah I think you get the picture. This is the real paper, the shadow. Fort. my partner is very patient . we've come to accept each others' shadows to an extent.
Darn, and here I thought I was going to post a picture of my shadow..... I can understand if some people would not want to reply here. But I am going say: I don’t really care about others, so I do not think there is much if anything I don’t want others to see or know (like me being messy). There is a few things I dislike people knowing because then they judge me in typically negative ways. Which by itself I do not really care about, but once they judge me, they tend to stay away and that generally hinders me. But since I have decided that this no longer bothers me: I lack empathy. I can fake it very well, but at the end, I see or feel no different in the morality between shooting a kid, or giving him ice cream. Or the difference between killing and child, an adult, or a cow. How does the cow have any less right to live then the humans? Or why should I care more if an infant is to die? That said, I do not think that makes me any worse of a human. I still help people, perhaps for other reasons outside of feeling good. But what does it matter the reason if it is the act that counts?
To me it is admirable that you can admit it Necronox. And if you think about your example in more depth I can see where you are coming from. You wont get any "shocked outrage from me."