Emma Atkinson 

Hello lovely readers! Spring has definitely sprung, hasn’t it?

Here’s the scenario we’ve been discussing: someone to whom you’ve given consent says to you that you’re being too sensitive or too emotional. What next? Well, is it true? Are you being too emotional?

We all can experience the effects described in the acronym HALT: hungry, angry, lonely, tired. Alone or in combination, they can certainly influence how we respond to the world around us. The acronym suggests that we stop and evaluate what’s going on. 

Any of these factors could affect our capacity to give our informed consent to others. Self-reflection is an admirable skill. Conducting a fearless moral inventory can help us evaluate and, if needed, alter our thoughts and behaviors. Or maybe just have a sandwich. 

We’re never at 100% capacity. So many things can influence our feelings — weather, hormones, whatever we’ve ingested, sleep or lack thereof, and so on. Practicing good self-reflection can help you shape a super amazing consent conversation. 

If you find that you’re feeling about the same as usual, consider that maybe something else is going on. Stay tuned — we’ll consider what that something else might be in the next episode of the Corner. 

Homework: have you had a memorable experience of self-reflection? We’d love to hear all about it at: info@thecspc.org. 

“Be excellent to each other.” —Bill and Ted

“Be sexcellent to each other.” —Emma