The more we deny that we have a dark side, the more power it has

Sheryl Lee, with insight that pierces the heart, declares: “The more we deny that we have a dark side, the more power it has over us.” In these words lies a truth as old as the human soul: that shadow and light dwell together in every heart. To refuse to see the shadow, to pretend that darkness is foreign to us, is to grant it dominion. For what is hidden grows in secret, but what is acknowledged can be mastered.

The ancients spoke of this mystery in many tongues. The Greeks told of Oedipus, who fled from prophecy only to fulfill it. His denial of fate gave it greater hold, for by refusing to face the truth, he walked straight into its snare. So too does Lee remind us: the dark side cannot be outrun. It must be faced, or else it will rule us from the shadows, unseen yet all the more powerful.

History bears witness in the tale of Richard Nixon. Denying his flaws, he cloaked himself in secrecy and pride, until the scandal of Watergate consumed him. Had he faced his own weakness with honesty, he might have preserved his legacy. Instead, by denying the darkness, he gave it the power to destroy him. Thus his story stands as a warning: denial strengthens the very enemy within.

Yet examples of triumph also shine. Nelson Mandela, in the long years of his imprisonment, faced his anger and bitterness honestly. He did not deny them, but transformed them into resolve and compassion. By acknowledging his shadow, he stripped it of its tyranny and emerged free not only from prison walls but from hatred itself. His victory reveals the wisdom of Lee’s words: to face the dark is to disarm it.

Let the generations remember: there is no man without a dark side. To deny it is folly; to face it is courage. For the shadow grows strongest in silence but weakens in the light of truth. He who dares to know himself fully—both his brightness and his darkness—walks as master of his soul. In such honesty lies the beginning of true power, for only then can the spirit rise unbroken, whole, and free.