The narratives we live by are like armour, donned to protect us from the blades of reality. Unfortunately, some narratives protect us no better than newspaper—reality can stab right through them.
The solution? First option: avoid contact. Weak armour is bypassed only by confrontation with a sharp or blunt instrument. For weak armour no weapon presents no problem. Second option: upgrade. Make the armour stronger by layering piece atop of piece, hoping that the sheer mass of overlapping narratives and rationalisations will be enough to ward off the attacks of reality. Third option: get naked. A nail is inviting to a hammer; defense is an invite to an attack. Take the armour off and make friends with reality instead of perpetuating conflict. Work with it and it might see no cause for offence and thus no reason to do harm.
Swell & Cut 