I dont think you should have stole it, bad you :-) but it is a great quote, I like it alot and so true.

Very cute.

Well, I know this member quite well, I don't think she'd mind that you stole the quote. I would say it's an understandable sentiment: for many of us, relationships are among the most frightening and troublesome areas in life (just look at the number of postings in the "Relationship Advice" category here!). Nothing has the capacity to tweak our ears quite as much as other people. So it's common for all of us to "put walls up" to some degree with regard to others -- to establish a sort of psychological barrier which keeps them out until we've decided to trust them. Again, this is not necessarily a bad thing all the time, it's part of the whole complex process of personality development and maturing.... and it can be used to "test" people too -- to see who cares enough to keep pursuing a connection with us. Someone who does persist in trying to reach us must really care (goes the logic), so maybe I can trust that person. That's not entirely devoid of validity. There's a weakness to this approach too, though. If we put walls up when we're feeling vulnerable, and then forget to take them back down again after the difficult times have passed, it's quite easy for these "walls" to become an unconscious habit that we lose track of altogether -- we forget that they were erected for protection in tough times, and begin to believe that WE are somehow different than others in a fundamental way that precludes relationship, companionship, or connection. The longer the walls stay up, and the thicker they are, the more likely we are to cut ourselves off from the real "juice" in life -- the joy of being fully alive, which includes being related to others (despite the many complications that always injects). In the end, staying inside the walls all the time is a form of not really participating -- not really living. Sometimes we'll see the price of this clearly: we only get one shot at being alive (as far as I can tell)... it would be a shame to waste the whole thing merely on protecting ourselves from pain.

It is very true, and I have been on BOTH sides of the "wall"

I'm not really sure how to take this...I mean, I've never been one to do anything but be open and honest at all times, so I really can't comment on it, but it almost seems like the child who cries to get attention. It comes off as completely self-serving. I don't mean for this to sound like I'm bashing that person...Really. I'm just more of a person that puts himself out there...putting up walls to see who cares enough to break them down? I guess if you need that, it's cool...Whatever someone needs to do to remember that they are important...

She probably got that quote from somewhere else, especially considering the fact that I've seen it all over the Internet. I highly doubt she minds. Anyway, I believe that it is a true quote.