Unmasking the Freak

"Knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people."
- Carl Jung

I've been thinking a lot about this quote lately. And this morning, I was working out and listening to music, and I was reminded of Jung's words as I listened to a song called "Freak" by the Danish band VOLA.  

VOLA is one of those terribly underrated but enormously talented bands that I wish more people knew about. They have an incredibly unique style that blends a sort of 80s Synth-Pop sound with a more modern Djenty, Dubstep-like metal. VOLA has moments that hit heavy and hard, polyrhythms, and songs that sound like their music is giving you a hug. A big part of their sound is the voice of Asger Mygind, who has a crooning baritone that often reminds me of Tears For Fears. And on top of it all, their lyrics have a tendency to hold profound meaning within enigma. 

"Freak" is a more mellow song from their discography, and explores a tumultuous relationship that falls apart: 

"I'm turning to ten, but you never hear me speak. Your mouth resorts to making your nonsense leak." 

To me, it sounds like the relationship was an abusive one, but the singer removed the power of the abuser by unmasking them: 

"I took your mask away, and you became this underwhelming freak that we will not miss." 

But the end of the song brings a profound twist. In the very last stanza, Asger sings: 

"I took your mask and you became someone I forgot who shares my name." 

What does he mean? Is he singing about a relative? A father or mother, perhaps? Or could it be something like what Carl Jung was talking about - the singer unmasks his abuser, and then sees a glimpse of his own dark side? 

I recently shared another quote I came across: 

"Sometimes the person you need to forgive isn't the one who hurt you - it's the version of yourself that stayed too long." 

As I think about this idea of unmasking our abuser and finding glimpses of our own psyche underneath, I am also thinking about how to forgive, what forgiveness means, and what it does. How, sometimes forgiving others involves also forgiving ourselves.