16: Vagueness

A person who is vague in discussion emotional matters may avoid the subject, or acknowledge it but withhold details, or discuss events but refuse to address the associated emotions. It is not an attempt to hide these matters, merely to avoid giving them too much attention.

In this way, vagueness is similar to repression in that the individual is admitting to only part of his experience while avoiding the more salient details.

Vagueness does not necessarily mean reticence - a person may speak frankly about certain matters, but in doing so is distracting from the whole truth: he speaks only about certain aspects of his experience in a direct manner, but holds back uncomfortable information.

For example, a person might speak bluntly about the details of a drug addiction or a suicide attempt, but avoid discussing the experiences that caused him to take such a dramatic action.

Vagueness can also be seen in misdirection: the parents of a child who has committed a crime may express their love and forgiveness in spite of their child's actions rather than their anger or disappointment that arise because of the same actions.