Implied boundaries don’t just apply to environments – it applies to people in different roles related to us as well. Implied boundaries have an impact on how safe a space with that person can feel, but also is dependent on past interactions (or the lack of a past). Bad past experiences mean that a person can feel very unsafe, even if the role that they occupy should be that of a person who can offer safety.
But similarly because of these implied boundaries, we can end up oversharing, or loading others unfairly without meaning to. We might feel safe with a stranger – but at the same time, we need to be careful how much they are ready to take on from us before we share our struggles or speak in honesty.
More reason to ask about a person’s boundaries especially if the implied boundaries are already unclear.
(Sigh. It’s bound to happen. I posted a comic out of order, which made the panel make a little less sense. I had to remove the wrong strip but it’ll return next time.)
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