09/13/2025
Feelings are valid … but that doesn’t always mean they’re guiding us well. Ideally, our emotional system acts as a signally system to us — providing us with information about what we’re experiencing or points to unmet needs. But sometimes it gets hijacked by our past.
These days it’s common to hear “my feelings are valid.” And that’s true — they are. But sometimes this phrase gets used in a way that shuts down relational repair or closes off curiosity about *why* we’re having a particular emotional experience. A feeling can be completely valid while not giving us an accurate picture of what’s happening in the here and now. That’s where curiosity comes in. Curiosity opens space — creating space to explore and understand, while shutting it down constricts space.
For me, curiosity has been the most helpful tool in navigating the complexity of my inner world. It helps me honor my feelings while also contextualizing and interpreting them with care.
“Feelings are not facts” is a good reminder here. Our emotions can tell us a lot about what matters to us, but they don’t always reflect the full reality.
We can hold both:
🧠 Recognizing that a feeling isn’t a fact
❤️ And still honoring that feeling with care, context and curiosity
✨ This infographic offers a few practices to help distinguish facts from feelings without dismissing either.
💻 Learn more in the full post: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/feelings-are-not-facts
