How does constricted awareness affect me?

A person can curtail their natural flow, remaining numb by choice. One can decide at some level that resistance is the only way to survive. As a result the person's inner world becomes constricted.

Constricted awareness robs you of freedom in many ways. It is like an invisible vise, tightening down your emotional response, squeezing your vital potential to the bare minimum. Although it sounds abstract, constricted awareness causes a vast array of problems. They begin with insensitivity: when you are forcing yourself not to feel, you cannot be sensitive to others. You cannot empathize with their situation; you are not open to another's point of view. Insensitive people appear aloof and cut off. They seem not to care about anyone else's feelings, when in reality they are unable to. Their constricted awareness is totally focused on handling their own distress, conscious or unconscious.