The Faces People Wear

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Before I start, I’d like to let everyone know that I’m going to use gender-neutral pronouns in this post to protect the identity of the person I’m talking about. I’ve been observing a person closely for a while now and have noticed how they have different faces in front of different people.

For example, in front of me, they are one of the most sensitive and caring individuals I have met. They are open, kind, gentle, attentive and honest. They share things with me and are pleased to be in my company. When they are with their classmates, they usually come across as sullen and unresponsive. Around friends, they are a little less reserved but are still not the person I am familiar with. The way they relate to me in front of their friends is also different. I noticed how their entire personality changes depending on who they are with. The person I know isn't the same one other people see. 

I took some time to ponder about why this could be and realized that I do the same thing too. One of my classmates told me that I’m childish and vulnerable around one person, but not in front of other people. I know that it’s true and thought about why this happened. 

I figured out that it depends on comfort and safety. Your inner child comes out around people you are comfortable with. Your inner child feels safe around them. It’s the faith that you’re not going to be judged for your actions that brings out who you actually are. In today’s world, people are afraid to show their true colours, worried that they will be laughed at or judged.

It’s our fault that we don’t give people the space to be themselves. It’s our fault that they have to hide who they are. We – on the whole – have to work on being more accepting.

Comments

  1. Anderlin VictorMarch 19, 2024 at 9:17 PM

    Only people close to us deserve our true selves. Other people just deserve the normal mask we wear around public. It is a relief to know that one can be whoever they want to be in their small but genuine circle.

    ReplyDelete

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