From behind a mask
Last night I was with a friend and we stopped for quick bite, at a fast food joint. There was this guy dressed in a costume of a huge teddy bear selling some sort of balloons. Any way so he approaches our table holding the balloons and I look up at him and say: no thanks we don't want any.
He proceeds to push the damn things toward us, I look at him again polity and say no thanks. But he ignores me and keeps pushing them, touching my friend with his arm and the balloons all the time, she was getting really anxious. So I look at him straight thought the eye holes with my deadly stare and say: That is enough!! Move on.
I know for a fact that had he no mask; he wouldn't have had the courage to do what he did. It made me think how people tend to do so many wrong things, or right ones which they don't usually have the courage to do, when they have a mask on. Be it an actual mask, a fancy suit and a car, on the phone, or on the internet hiding behind a nick name.
Now this incident was with a person, that had a real a mask I can see and I know for a fact that is a mask. But what about people with different masks invisible ones, would I be able to see through and find the eye holes to tell them: that is enough!! move on.
All for now…
11 comments:
As you grow older..I'm 31..just to set the record straight..you tend to highten that mask scan talent, people wear masks..and change them according to setting..but you will always be able to distinguish a masked person, from a genuine faced one..its a tough cookie..but its also part of being human, at the end of the day..clowns color their faces intentionally..others don't bother!
Averrose
I do agree the older we get, and the more masks we refuse to use ourselves, the better we get at detecting them. I hope that I will perfect this skill one day, not too late I hope.
But don't you find it sad when you see people like that, its sad that they don't see themselves as worthy enough, so they hide behind pretenses. But the even sadder cases are,the ones who confuse the masks with their own faces.
Inferiority Complexes, people will always hide behind masks, walls, and other people, some people are like bats..when you throw them in the light and ask them to look you in the eye..they fly away into the saftey of a dark cave.
We all have our shortcomings, but we also have the moral responsibility of maintaining a minimum degree of decency and self respect, people who decide to cash in on any of the above are doomed to be fuel to the fires they ignite..sooner or later.
Anonymity x credibility = Constant
Don' we all have a mask on? Women For example, women can't get out of the house without their makeup..
There comes specific times, and specific people who we feel that we can be totally naked with and drop all our masks. Who and when ... is a whole other story.
I guess, I think I agree with you .. most people do hide behind masks, including you and me.
since we're talking about masks..the anonymous post upstairs is by me..it wasn't supposed to be anonymous..but somewhere along the line I was cast a mask..the proof is tamara's reply! so I hereby declare my un-anonymity.
Masks are there any where u go...
ppl like it , and some's can not live without it ..
Averrose
I agree it's sad but true, people will always hide behind something. But this is not for devious reasons always, some people feel they are so inferior and they hide behind different types of masks, and sadly never reach their full potential.
Any harmful r dark feelings we nurture inside us, will burn us first and probably only us.
* I switched yesterday from the old blogger to the new one, so probably when I switched your reply turned into anonymous
Qwaider
I don't want to go that extreme, yes all of us try to be our best around people, especially people that are not that close to us, but this does not reach to the point to call it a mask. Unless I'm a monster with people who know me closely and I try to pose as an angel.
Makeup is a different issue- as I see it- if a man combs his hair, dresses up in the best suit he has, does that mean he is wearing a mask? Trying to look better physically. On most levels if different from hiding behind a pretense or anonymity because we don't have the courage to be who we are.
The short movie (Talaween) comes to mind when I talk about masks.
Mqabbani
That is sad but mostly true
Maybe it is us who force people to hide behind their masks, cause we (especially in Jordan) tend to judge people more often.
Aboud
That is very possible, but again hiding something people may not agree with or understand,so you will have peace of mind, is different from using different masks for personal gain or harm of others.
Interesting post Tamara ..
Many comments were made already :) ..
I would only add that , we all probably wear masks , but the purpose differs .. for example , you could be horrified by a work interview , yet manage to mask a faked smile , and gather your voice .. my points , some masks are to hide ugly sides in us , but not necessarily to mislead other people . and some other times , masks are by all means to draw a fake picture of oneself to others .
Still , I think that at some point one should be able to distinguish the real face from the mask ... especially after sometime passes on knowing this person and dealing with him/her.
I agree with you danah : ) the point is not to hide for a long time behind a mask especially if its ill intentioned
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