Masks

Having just finished watching Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece Eyes Wide Shut, I couldn't help but wonder about masks. The masks in the film were mostly used for anonymity purposes, but in my eyes, they also symbolize that much of social life is a performance. In many aspects of life, such as school, family, and romantic relationships, we wear metaphorical masks. We hide our true nature to protect ourselves from possible harm, and we act out the performance of a lifetime (literally). At school, there is an expectation of professionalism; in social relationships, there is a desire to be liked and to fit in, all to run away from feeling abnormal or lonely. These are the natural desires of any human being, and the masks act as tools to fulfill our needs. At first, this concept may cause no concern and may even seem normal until you realize that a mask can hide or distort reality; it is simply the wearer's choice. This raises a major issue: identity loss. If one chooses to hide oneself, then one’s personality may lose its depth. On the other hand, if one chooses to change oneself unnaturally, that creates a fake persona. So, regardless of the choice, the inevitable use of these metaphorical masks causes a loss of identity. Humans, who are, by nature, among the most complex and unique beings, are now shallow and mundane. The social expectations, pressures, and desires of our century are suppressing what makes humans human... personality. With our masks, we are acting out a performance instead of living our lives and truly being ourselves. While there is no practical way of taking off our masks for good, I have come to find that being around people with whom we feel comfortable enough to reveal our true selves, even for a moment, is comforting enough. So, yes, no cure, but once you find your people, you'll realize that it is more than enough.