Blog Post #2: Kenji Yoshino’s “Preface” and “The New Civil Rights”
- Yoshino’s argument is that everyone has a False Self and True Self. Our False Selves are the images of ourselves that we show, while we cover our True Selves. Until we fully know someone, our True Selves stay hidden. Yoshino agues that we need to have an equal balance of each in our lives. However, society makes it difficult for people to show their True Selves because of the mockery it brings them. Yoshino doesn’t want the social norms of society to pressure people to cover.
- It can be difficult to express yourself, especially when you don’t know those around you. I have always had a wall up and it takes a lot of time for it to come down. Even when I’m around people that I’ve known for a long time, I still sometimes cover who I am because I’m afraid that I would lose them. Losing those I care about is my biggest fear; therefore I tend to let my fears take over and hid my True Self. My False Self is still apart of who I am, but it isn’t all of me.
