The masks we wear

The masks we wear

We all wear masks. All of us do. Various ones, all throughout each and every day, and many a times so many and so fast that we don’t even remember to take them off when we call it a day. Isn’t that true? Ask yourself.

Whether it be the one of a loyal employee, loving spouse, devoted parent, law-abiding citizen, up standing and morally right individual, we all resort to hide ourselves under a mask most of the time, if not all. When was the last time we spoke our mind, without editing or polishing the words? We all wake up and immediately don a mask. But is it really necessary? Moreover, is it worth it?

We have real beings caged inside us. Beings capable of thought, words and emotions. But just after our infancy we are told, trained and instructed to not be ourselves. In fact the stress is so much on doing and saying the ‘right things’ or rather the things that are perceived to be the ‘right things’ that often the real person is subdued and oppressed to a point of non-existence. Are the real persons inside so bad that they need to be caged, chained, locked up and forgotten forever? Are our inherent personalities so dismal and repulsive? If the answer in your mind to these questions is in the negative, then why do it?

Man is a social animal. Yes, that is true and that is something undeniable. But why is man a social animal? Why does he live in societies of compatriots? What is the motive behind it? I believe it is his inherent selfish desire to lead a more comfortable and enjoyable life for himself. In turn, the societal pressures are what force a man to wear these masks. But do we really have to wear them? True, one’s rights end where the other’s nose begins. Can’t we at least rid ourselves of those masks that we wear for the mere sense of propriety?

The answer to that question is purely subjective.  Why don’t we try taking off the masks one at a time? Let’s take off those which we can easily afford to. Why not speak our mind in the midst of friends or in the privacy of our own homes. Let’s try speaking our minds and not editing our words for a change. I trust the feeling will be quite liberating and a refreshing change for our personas in shackles. Let us try and speak our minds for a change…