MASKS...

one of life's lesson: not all that our eyes can see is real

“Now I see, if I wear a mask, I can fool the world but I cannot fool my heart”

Why people tend to conceal to the world the real them? Pretending they someone they are not. Act as if they are stronger, wiser and better… sometimes, when we look at people, we might think that we can see who they really are based on the things our naked eyes can perceive but we’ll never know. Every day, we human beings have this habit of looking and watching and critically scrutinize a person from a far whom we barely even know.

I had these thoughts while I am seated alone at Jollibee this morning, eating my late breakfast before having my bioethics exam. As I was pretentiously studying my notes, it came to my mind to keenly observe those people passing by at my sight across the glass wall of jabi! Then I realize, if I will exchange shoes with those I am looking at, and they will be the one who is staring at me, what they might  be thinking of me? What impression might I give them? What would be my reflection?

It’s very intricate to say that we can already assess one person by merely looking at them. We are now living in a world where we can hardly say whose good from evil. Lol! In this world of lies and heartaches, do I need to hide my heart? Do we have to hide our hearts? Do we need masks to fool the world?

Many misinterpret wearing of a mask as a pretentious way of showing the world who we are. Many misunderstood that fooling everyone is the goal of wearing it. But the real thing is people are weak entangled by the harsh reality of life that wearing it serves as a shield and armor to go on. And not just to change identity and to pretend to be someone they are not. Sometimes the loneliness and sadness that comes with who we are and how we are living our lives are hidden behind the mask to show the humanity the opposite of what we truly feel.

Am I wearing a mask all this time? Well, I don’t really know? What I am sure of, is that every one of us… even you have your own mask. I’m just not sure if you have worn it, you are wearing it or you are about to wear it.

Yeah, we may be fooling the world, but we can’t and will never be fooling our own hearts. As we look on our own reflection, who are we seeing? Do we see someone we don’t know? When we let other see the inside of us, there might see a “secret us”(the true and authentic us) that we barely recognize because we are too busy with our own self-built-imaginary “us”.  Our lives have been an endless search for meaning and so we thought we can find answers easier if we are wearing it.

When will my reflection show who I am inside? Even I myself am having a hard time with this one. Who would want to show others how weak they are anyway? Well, it’s not yet late.. Showing the whole wide world who we really are takes courage. But to top it all off, as I was staring at different people inside and outside Jollibee I realize, we should take time and effort to understand people and not judge them as fast as we can. Anyway, is there someone not wearing a mask?

think about it :)