"I think that’s what it means to be “real” as a parent or a teacher – to be vulnerable, to be capable of being hurt. The only way to avoid the pain of vulnerability is by shutting out all emotion and becoming cold, uncaring, heartless and selfish."
Above is a quote from headmaster's newsletter. In the text, can "to be capable of being hurt" mean "to be able to be hurt"?
Actually, I didn't think about the possibility. I interpreted it as "susceptible to being hurt" especially because of the previous word "vulnerable".
But my colleague (who spent most of her school years in an English-speaking environment) claimed that it was supposed to mean "to be able to be hurt" as a kind of ability, and that it shouldn't be viewed as a passive attitude.
Aside from the context, is this usage common? For me, it sounds really awkward that someone has a kind of ability to get hurt. It sounds as strange as being able to die."
Any comments would be greatly appreciated. I am definitely not a native English speaker.
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