To create a mask is one of our most primal instincts, we adapt to our situations. Humans are complex, many things unable us from showing ourselves such as fear, social norms or simply emotions. Why do we do this? Is it a defense mechanism or a rush to become another person? Don’t we all have a deep wish of being another person, a person without fear? By creating a mask we are filtering perception, the way we want people to see us. This is our dishonest insecure confidence. We do not want to shine in our real form because we want to shape ourselves to the image we believe is what others want to see.
If you have a mask do you become dependent of it?
The purpose of a mask is to hide who you are, it is a long-term diversion that blocks other person from seeing you. It is the bandage for your scars hiding every hurtful truth they represent. It is the past you wished you had, the utopia you created. It turns all the fire in your emotions lit up in the illusion of tranquil water. Most of all it is the person you know others want to see. A mask is a lie. The problem is that if you don´t take it of, it will become invisible to you. Growing into your skin and become part of your real face. You will get so used to your new skin you won´t be able to recognize which is real and which is just a fragment of your imagination.
The two sides of a mask
Side 1: My mask is just a melancholic surface, it is my most superficial version. The only pieces of me on it are my fingerprints. I become the smallest version of myself when I use it. It is created from a sea of tears, the sweat of fear, the tremble of insecurities and past rejections. My mask is thick because I am filled with shame, fear and darkness. It has the ability to make me disappear, it is like hide and seek but you will never find me. I am ashamed that I had to create this, it is a protection but once built it is so difficult to escape. I have created a web of lies, my stories, my personality, my tastes, if I were to show myself my whole life would disappear.
Side 2: When she set herself free I didn´t know her. It felt like opening the Pandora box. She surprised me so much. It´s not that I didn’t see how wonderful she was, she shone so much. She was always beautiful but sheltered, her beauty was sad. When she freed herself I saw so much light. So much happiness and relief however I didn’t know her… I was lied to… for so much time. I feel betrayed by one of the closest people I have. I don´t really know if I should run or stay. I love the light but I hate the betrayal.
What if we couldn´t hide our truth?
Imagine a world without masks. A world where fear does not control your actions. You are who you want to be instead of making someone up. Imagine a world you can´t pretend to be someone else to hide from the fear of rejection and the tremble of judgment. A world where everyone would wear all their realness for the naked eye to see. Would you still have the same friends? Would you still be on the same relationship? Would you actually grow as a person instead of being frozen and smaller?
