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sandra carrington-smith: blog

sandracarringtonsmith's blog


the masks we wear

Published Sep. 23, 2008

Masks are one of the most remarkable manmade creations used in rituals throughout recorded history, used by our ancestors to form a bridge between themselves and the Divine.

 

Though in modern times the mask has a negative connotation of disguise with the intent to deceive, the ancient world perceived masks as tools of revelation, a connection to invisible powers.

 

“Identity masks” are often worn to hide the vulnerable parts of ourselves, and most of them are molded in response to societal demands, parental suggestions and peer pressure. 

  

Most of us wear some sort of mask to introduce ourselves to the world. It is not done to deceive anybody; rather, it is an effort we make to ensure that we are accepted and loved by others. Many feel that they could not be accepted for who they truly are, so they slip the mask on. Sometimes they become so used to doing it, that they are unable themselves to differentiate who they truly are from who they believe people want them to be. 

 

We constantly blame the world for not accepting us for who we are, yet we don’t fully accept ourselves. We would rather go on and be who we are not, rather than recognize that the standards we measure ourselves against are manmade and often based on others’ perceptions of good and bad.

 

The person who lives inside of us may be scared, bruised, shy, but it is rarely bad.

 

The need to hide behind a mask is self-imposed, and as such it can be eliminated.

 

If we take a glimpse of our true selves, who are we, really? Are we truly the person we are portraying? Or is that person someone our caregivers and societies wanted it to be? Do we really believe what we claim to believe? Do we really despise what we assert to despise? Or have we grown to believe we do just because it would make someone else happy and proud?

 

What about you? Who is the true self hidden behind your  mask?

 

 



52 Comments


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"It's easy to look at people and make quick judgments about them, their present and their pasts, but you'd be amazed at the pain and tears a single smile hides. What a person shows to the world is only one tiny facet of the iceberg hidden from sight. And more often than not, it's lined with cracks and scars that go all the way to the foundation of their soul" Acheron Parthenopaeus

NCMOM...I think that quote speaks volumes. Especially for those that may have had a lifetime of constantly being hurt...a lot of times by those assumed to be trusted friends/family (wearing masks of their own for their own gain at someone elses expense). That kind of mask is a form of protection of which I can relate...and one that is very hard to remove over time.

I am wearing a happy mask right now...it is cracking...

"What about you? Who is the true self hidden behind your mask?"

What you see, is what you get,I'm a two-bagger......

My true self is the one that everyone sees and hears. I think hiding your "true self" away is dishonest and weak.

It made a lot of sense, rocknhorse, thank you for sharing that.

I consider myself to be an open book. I don't necessarily volunteer info freely, but if asked, I'll share. If I feel that someone is going through a rough time and knowing that others have been there, I'll share. Ex. a friend was having financial troubles and was embarrassed. I shared some stories of my financial troubles in the past. I'm not ashamed. I overcame them and worked them out. But heck, who has never hit a bump in the road. I'm not scared of my blemishes, but I won't flaunt them unless I feel it may help someone else.

With that being said, do I wear a mask here? To a degree. I've not shared some of my 'deepest, darkest' secrets. Some of them are not mine to be sharing. But when I see others in some dilemma that might be comparable, I'll happily offer advice based on experience and don't mind sharing that openly.

Did ANY of that make a bit of sense?

Girl we all feel exactly the same inside. There is no magic moment when we "grow up." We just stay ourselves with our personal set of priorities until life is over. Enjoy.

"no, and stop calling me shirley........"

You misunderstood, I said SQUIRRELY

no, and stop calling me shirley........

ME?

Wear a MASK?

Surely, you jest...

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