Shedding light on the dark side
Weekend readers bare thoughts on life’s dualities
By Cassandra C. Poculan
AS HUMANS, we are expected to exhibit our more pleasant personality traits – being outgoing, warm, approachable, hardworking, open to new ideas and experiences – and repress the negative ones. Even as kids we’ve associated darkness with the unknown, something to be feared, something to be avoided. But in order to live life more fully, we must learn to embrace both good and bad, our strengths and weaknesses, and a whole range of emotions and innate behaviors. Therein lies our power, knowing that while we acknowledge our dark side, we are also capable of straddling our own yin and yang. These readers reveal theirs and how they have made it work in their favor.
Eugene Erik Lim, 32
President and CEO
Topline Group of Companies
“I like it fast, dark, I push hard. I dive deep and don’t stop until I’m satisfied. This has been my work philosophy all my life. The businesses that I’m involved in are very fast-paced and I have to anticipate the market’s needs and be 10 steps ahead of the curve. I often work into the late hours of the evening, and I like to really push hard. I’m not satisfied with mediocre results, which is why I keep going until I see my goals come into fruition. Is this my dark side? It definitely is, because I cannot and will not allow myself to stop. But it’s also a side to me that I accept, and success energizes me to keep going and I’m blessed that my family and friends are there to support all my endeavors.”
Johanna Michelle Lim, 31
Chief Brand Strategist
Dual Story Branding and Communications
“Of course. I have a tendency to walk with blinders when in full pursuit of something – a venture, a story, a passion project – sometimes at the expense of people and relationships. When the immediacy of pursuit takes hold, there’s no room for compromise or hybrid ideas. I can’t dilute myself to fit others in. Of course, I regret this afterwards when the blinders are lifted, but then restlessness will take hold again; one-track mindedness and regret become cyclical. Certainly, my inner life is filled with more insensitivity, doubt and revisionism than I’d care to admit. But if you take away Carl Jung’s belief that ‘the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness,’ this multidimensionality, I think, is what keeps us human, knowing each one is capable of both hate and hope.”
Bee Urgello, 32
LGBTQ Advocate/Beauty Queen/Model
“I don’t know if you could really call it a dark side, but I really take pleasure in seeing a bad person suffer. To see the downfall of the high and mighty who have taken advantage of the less fortunate for their own benefits. Bullies who get bullied in return or get punished. I take great satisfaction in knowing that they finally got what they deserved and justice was served. To see them be poor or be hurt for the evil things they have done makes me happy.”
Raine Baljak, 21
Business Owner and Founder
BaBeBoBs Beauty & Fitness Consultancy
“I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 15, and I’ve been managing it with my training. I want to share the benefits of my training to others who have similar problems with managing mental, emotional and physical stress, especially the youth. So I decided to create my ASSY & BUTTS charity, which is dedicated to the youth through weightlifting training, but somehow, I have to provide to my charity due to expenses that I realized later when I already started it, so I decided to start my BaBeBoBs Beauty & Fitness Consultancy business, which still relates to my training programs and sharing this Barbell Training to others. All to just manage my dark side, and give me a sense of purpose in life.”
Joanna Cuenco, 32
Leasing Manager
Innoland Development Corp.
“Of course I do. Doesn’t everyone? Haha. Some close friends have joked it’s best to back away slowly when they see me angry, but my bark is worse than my bite. I might plot and scheme out of anger, but I’ve never actually carried out the plot or scheme. I’ve never been physically violent because I find other outlets. Hours of boxing and yoga every week help a lot!”
