This is part of a writing exercise dictated by this list. It may benefit you to read it if you seek to know me (or merely someone) better; it may benefit me in the selfsame way. And if knowledge of others is your goal, seek out Anna, whose list prompted mine, and Kimi, whom Anna credits for said list.

Day 9
In what ways are you your own worst enemy?

I wonder, if you were to pose this question to Dr. Jekyll, what his reaction would be. I imagine it’d be a rather insane kind of laughter, colored with tears, and utterly wordless. For a man who knows his inner demons, no matter how talkative, finds himself inarticulate on the subject. An easier question would be “in what ways aren’t you your own worst enemy” or perhaps “in what ways are you your friend?”

Beyond the fact that I’m not sure how to properly express an answer is the grave matter of whether doing so — particularly in a public forum — is healthy or wise, and frankly I don’t think it is. On a superficial level it is mere brow-beating, guarded confessional driven simultaneously towards excess and modesty by the knowledge that others are listening. On a deeper level such exposition could only shock its audience, after which time were the question asked again the obvious answer would be “I am my own worst enemy for having driven away loved ones by showing them my darkest secrets.”

And so I’ll simply say that I have foiled myself a great deal in life via a myriad of vices. The rest, I fear, is between myself and Mr. Hyde.