There are simple people, the kind people call an "open book" - absolutely no hidden depth or secret motives, they are exactly who you see and hear.
There are people who are like an impossible quest - understanding them is so hard it feels downright impossible. You just break your teeth trying and throw your hands up: "To hell with it!".
And then there are people like intricate trick boxes, locked up tight. But if you manage to find the key and open one, it turns out it's not just a box, but a music box. All your efforts are rewarded with a beautiful melody - the multifaceted, amazingly rich personality of that person.
and still leaves the light on...
Very symbolic. It must be a very pleasant feeling to return - to someone who not only knows you, but truly knows you... to someone who doesn't just listen to you, but truly hears you... to someone who doesn't just see you, but next to whom you feel seen... All other piers - are surrogates, fakes.
When I was reading in the Bible about how Jesus came into the temple, one moment caught my attention. He got very angry when he saw that in his Father's house, where one needs to worship God, they set up a commercial marketplace - selling cattle, doves, changing money. Jesus made a whip and drove all the sellers out of the temple.
I pondered: why did he act like this? For to make him angry was practically impossible, he endured so much. Before the execution they spat on him, put a crown of thorns on him, mocked him, and he was silent and in no way stood up for himself.
And I understood for myself an important thing. When it came to him personally, he didn't argue. John the Baptist was condemned for an ascetic lifestyle, while Jesus was accused of attending parties and called a glutton and a drunkard. Yet he didn't refute anything and didn't defend himself. But when it was about God's name and true worship, he stepped in. It deeply mattered to him, and he took a stand.
I noticed that I feel something similar. Defending myself? It seems to me, this is simply a waste of time. Your actions are louder than words, and you won't explain anything to everyone anyway - you will always not be liked by someone. But as for my close, loved people, or if someone blasphemes God - for them I am ready to bite throats and defend to the last. For loved ones and for God - yes. For myself - no.