Scars of Strength
There is an interesting trend right now to recognize our scars, whether physical or emotional, as positive attributes which play a meaningful role in our lives. Musicians sing songs about the beauty of scars. People celebrate their scars by tattooing works of art around them. Books, quotes and articles highlight the significance of our personal scars. One of the top experts in pop psychology right now, Brene Brown touts the importance of realizing the strength in our vulnerability and the power of our mistakes and shortcomings. Her talks and interviews have gone viral and her books fly off the shelves. Most likely because we have been needing to hear this affirmation and validation that our weaknesses, scars and difficult life experiences also hold value.
Maxwell Maltz, MD, a pioneering plastic surgeon during the mid-20th century and esteemed author of Psycho~Cybernetics, writes about how his work as a plastic surgeon inspired a new psychological perspective. We are historically a society which conceals or repairs any imperfection. Patients go to plastic surgeons in hopes of erasing whatever they believe mars their physical image. Dr. Maltz discovered it is actually our internal self-image that determines how we feel about ourselves, not how perfect or imperfect we may appear on the surface. Though our modern society is still largely intolerant of defects, blemishes and flaws, there has been a movement over the last several decades to accept and appreciate our differences, including our mistakes, vulnerabilities and yes, scars.
In other cultures scars, imperfections and cracks are highlighted and honored. In Japan, they practice the art of Kintsukuroi which is the mending of broken ceramics to maintain the integrity of its function and enhance its beauty, history and resilience. Numerous tribes in Africa engage in scarification practices whereby they deliberately create scars on their faces and bodies in artful ways to promote aesthetic appeal, honor ones lineage or recognize significant life stages.
Obviously, our interpretation of scars as fashion statements is subjective and culture specific, but we can be assured that across cultures and across continents, most of us don’t get through life without accruing at least one or two reminders of a past injury, trauma or mishap. Our body has the most remarkable way of physically healing and regenerating itself through the scarring process. We also have this same capacity to heal from an emotional or psychological perspective. As we shift the way we view our mistakes, imperfections and battle wounds, we choose not to avoid or conceal our scars. We realize that our “cracks” are not defects, but rather a testament to our resilience. We notice we may have actually become stronger in our “broken places.” We are challenged to recognize, uncover and honor our scars as a source of strength, a reminder of endurance and a symbol of survival.