Masks
"Who are you when no one is watching?"
When I was a boy, I never thought I'd need so many faces just to survive the day. We often struggle to showcase our true faces openly to the general public. Why? Do we feel that people would be quick to assume and judge you based on your true colours? Do we feel the need to blend in with society by showcasing a generalised character which would be conventionally acceptable as..."normal"? These are questions that I ask myself about human beings. What would happen if I stopped acting and just showed my face bare to the whole world? Well...society has made sure to show me that that face would be ripped off from me, torn apart and put back together. And, they would be the ones asking if we are okay? Sounds like a lot of baloney to me.
If we needed to talk to one particular set of strangers, we need to maintain a specific type of personality so that we'd fit in easily among them. Next thing you know, you find yourself among familiar people who are more comfortable with a softer version of you. Someone who is you but not really. Another type of people may be people who have no association with any of the things you do, but they have you near so that you don't feel left out, or they just feel sorry for you in general.
The thing is, I don't think most people out there would agree with the skin you are used to. They prefer the mask that you always wear when they see you. Nothing more, nothing less. If there is indeed more or less of you, you are suddenly thrown the question, "Are you okay?..." Now this question is just a curveball, because what are people gonna reply with anyway? Like if you say, "No, I've been feeling quite down these days," or "No, and I don't want to talk about it." I've seen enough people to know that they would be too quick to judge and think, "Why is this guy such a weirdo?" or "Dude, just get over it." Or better yet, they just wouldn't care and retort with a simple reply, i.e., filler words and the sorts, making us regret being honest in the first place.
My point is, men would just feel like the best option to say here is, "I'm okay." This is just the go-to answer for almost every man when they are asked the question, "Are you okay?" It's simple and honest. No more, no less. Just what society would expect. Say it, move on with your job. Now, people would promptly think, "Daft, give people a chance! They aren't as bad as you think. Society has blinded you; men can be understood. Reveal yourself to us." Trust me, no matter how much you say that you understand, the reality is that you don't. No one is capable of knowing how much something affects you in a particular moment. It cannot be experienced by you, nor am I willing to inflict the same effect on you to make you feel.
So...men...you know what your purpose is. Live and let live. People may sound promising, but trust me, wear the mask you've always been wearing and go take on the world to provide for your family. Face the naysayers and show the bystanders that it takes guts to wear the shoes you wear every single day, day in and day out.
At the end of the day, we only know ourselves truly. So, I’ll continue wearing my masks. But sometimes, late at night, I take it off in front of the mirror... and remind myself who I really am. I'd like to conclude with one of the most memorable choruses to exist. Thank you, Rajesh, for introducing this song to me:
Here we are again
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