Emotional Introverted

There was a time in my life when I couldn’t understand why my friends would feel such deep emotions over matters that seemed so trivial to me. It often left me feeling detached, unable to grasp why someone could care so deeply about things that felt fleeting or inconsequential. When gossip or drama arose about someone I didn’t feel a strong connection with, I found myself detached, not emotionally moved or invested in the same way. It wasn’t that I didn’t care—it was simply that my emotions ran much deeper, and I struggled to navigate them in a world where emotions often felt like they were tied to the surface.

For me, my compassion was always rooted in something greater than the trivialities of everyday life. I’ve always felt deeply for the suffering of others, even those I don’t know. I remember, as a young child, walking with my grandmother and seeing elderly people working tirelessly, struggling with life’s burdens. The sight would bring me to tears, and I would feel a deep, overwhelming sadness for their hardship. I couldn’t help but give them whatever money I had on me at the time, even though I knew it wouldn’t be enough. But that act, however small, felt like a way to share in their pain, to show them that someone cared.

The Struggle with Compassion: Seeing it as Weakness

At one point, I began to view my ability to feel so deeply for others as a weakness. As an awkward, introverted person, I sometimes felt like my emotional sensitivity made me an easy target for others to take advantage of. There were times when people would take my kindness for granted, when my vulnerability was met with indifference or exploitation. These experiences led me to guard my heart, to withdraw into myself, and to protect my compassion for only those who were closest to me. I became more cautious, less open, and, at times, more disconnected from the compassion that once flowed so freely within me.

I started to shut off parts of myself, thinking that being overly compassionate was a burden I couldn’t afford. It was as if I had to toughen up, to stop feeling so much, in order to protect myself from being hurt again. I built walls around my heart, reserving my soft, compassionate side for only those who had proven their worthiness of it.

A New Beginning: Reopening My Heart

But then, a new chapter of my life began when I moved to Shanghai, far from the life I had known in Canada for over thirteen years. It was a time of profound introspection—a period of solitude, a time of becoming a hermit in my own right. Far away from the comfort of the familiar, I found myself in a place where I had no choice but to look inward and reconnect with who I truly was. The quietness of my new life, the stillness that came with being in a foreign city, forced me to rediscover parts of myself that I had long buried.

It was during this time of quiet reflection that I slowly began to reclaim what I had lost: my curiosity, my compassion, and the bravery to open my heart again. I realized that I had closed myself off from the very things that had once made me feel connected to the world. My ability to feel deeply for others, to empathize with their suffering, wasn’t a weakness—it was a gift. A gift that I had shut away out of fear and hurt, but one that was integral to my journey of healing and growth.

Like the fool setting off on a new adventure, I took a leap of faith, daring to open myself up to the unknown. I allowed myself to feel again, to connect with the world in a way that was true to who I am. I began to trust that my compassion could coexist with strength. I realized that I could still be gentle, still be deeply caring, without compromising my boundaries or losing myself in the process.

Reclaiming Compassion: A Journey of Healing

As I continued my journey in Shanghai, I started to see that there was power in my softness, in my compassion, and in my vulnerability. I didn’t need to harden my heart to protect myself. Instead, I learned to protect my energy, to be mindful of where I placed my compassion, and to reserve it for those who truly needed it. In doing so, I found a deeper connection to myself and to the world around me.

This journey has taught me that compassion isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength. It’s a way of connecting with others on a profound level, of offering understanding and support when the world feels overwhelming. And while it’s important to protect my heart, it’s also essential to allow it to remain open. My ability to feel deeply is part of who I am, and by embracing it, I’ve learned to connect more authentically with others and with myself.

The Power of Emotional Depth

Now, as I reflect on my journey, I understand that my emotional depth is a part of my unique power. It allows me to experience the world in a way that is rich with empathy and understanding. I no longer see my emotional sensitivity as a burden, but as a gift that connects me to the suffering and beauty of the world around me.

By opening my heart once again, I’ve rediscovered the power of compassion, not only for others but for myself. It’s been a long and transformative journey, but I’ve come to realize that being deeply compassionate is not something to hide or protect—it’s something to embrace, something to share with the world.

Thank you for joining me on this part of my journey. I hope that, if you, too, have ever felt like your compassion was a weakness, you can find comfort in knowing that it is, in fact, your greatest strength. Let’s embrace our emotional depth and allow it to guide us toward deeper connections and a more compassionate world.

With love,

Seraphine Duong

“Looking back, I see how my emotional sensitivity, once perceived as a weakness, has become one of my greatest strengths. The journey from shutting my heart off to reopening it in Shanghai has been transformative. I’ve learned that true strength doesn’t come from hardening my heart but from embracing my emotional depth with boundaries. Compassion, I’ve realized, isn’t a burden—it’s a gift, one that connects me more deeply to the world and to myself. This journey has shown me that embracing vulnerability allows for authentic connections and healing. My emotional depth is not something to hide, but something to celebrate and share with the world.”