Behind The Mask

Francois De La Rochefoucauld once said, ~There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists or stimulates it where it does not.~ If you think about it, men and women aren't all that different as there are certain things we all share such as our insecurities tend to be hidden, especially when it pertains to matters of the heart. In some aspect, each of us wears a type of mask to hide behind in order to not reveal how truly scared we are when it comes to relationships. It's a mask in which people honestly believe the face they see is a true perception of who that person really is, but unfortunately it's oftentimes a deluded perception to fool others. Let me ask you this question, what type of mask are you wearing and how long have you been wearing it?

Without a doubt, anger can be considered a mask to hide behind when past heartbreak keeps you from potentially establishing a relationship with someone who is truly special. For a person can be at first uncomfortable wearing the mask of anger, so to speak, because of how much unbridled emotion can take control over you. However, over time that feeling of anger can initially be embraced to the point where it completely changes their whole identity leaving you totally unrecognizable. When I say unrecognizable, I'm speaking in the metaphorical sense and its a sad situation indeed when a person isn't capable of removing or refuses to remove the mask of anger because of what he or she has personally experienced in a past relationship.

Believe it or not, a person can wear the mask of happiness as he or she deals with matters of the heart with a seemingly cheerful, upbeat attitude. As strange as it may sound we all know, are friends with, or are that someone who either smiles, laughs, and/or uses one's own sense of humor to keep things light hearted in order to not let those closest to you to be concerned with what you are going through. For some, most, or all people, it's simply a defense mechanism that automatically turns on when facing the possibility of having their heart put through the ringer, in a manner of speaking. In a sense, being able to smile, laugh, or make fun of a depressing situation gives the person a chance to keep one's sanity intact, which may work depending on the type of person you are.

Essentially, one can definitely hide behind a false sense of confidence as a person can psych himself or herself up into doing or saying something for the expressed purpose of taking a risk with their heart, but walks away at the last minute. I think many of you would agree that in order to look confident you must feel, as well as, talk confident and if you don't feel in both areas it then it will show in either your speech, facial expression, the way you carry yourself, and/or in the way you keep eye contact with someone. In a sense, each of us can be unrealistic into thinking he or she has always been ready for love, but when it happens you find out that you weren't able handle it leaving you not only embarrassed, but also physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually defeated.

In retrospect, there are so many masks one can wear that all a person ends up doing is seeing through one's heart rather than feeling with it. Thinking about it, love itself can become the proverbial iron mask that keeps the feelings and emotions we hold locked in perpetual darkness to not only never see the light of day, but also never feel the warmth of love. It can be a tortuous, painful feeling as you so want to allow yourself to express how you feel within your heart, and yet at the same time be put out of your misery for letting yourself go through it. In the end, its just a matter of finding the right key to unlock your metaphorical prison that has prevented you from letting someone who is honest, genuine, and not afraid to see the person who is truly behind the mask.