Paradox of the mask

Erum Meghani

A2C2

Now you see me.. now u don't......

Dual-istic personality... a paradox of life The world is a masquerade and we, the invitees are characters wrapped in masks…masks of the people we want to be, masks of our own ideal personality. But the irony is that we have blended ourselves so effortlessly in that mask that we project ourselves as someone else while deep inside remains hidden our true self.

We are culprits dressed as innocent people, aren't we? Or better, we are victims disguised as culprits. The world is a mysterious place. We play dual roles, sometimes the culprit and sometimes the victim and then begins the recurring blame game. Blaming others and blaming ourselves. But somewhere inside us remains the constant feeling of “Purity”, which is untouched by events, which is permanent. But we are glad to ignore it for as long as we can.

The biggest irony is that when someone tries to lift the mask by being natural they are considered to be fake. The reality is that we have programmed ourselves to look for perfection, not realizing that Perfection belongs to the creator alone and so we fail to see our own self coming out in the expression of others.

So when we commit mistakes, this veil, this mask gets lifted in front of another person, the image shatters, the real face hidden behind the mask appears. The sweetheart in whose arms you had been dancing earlier this night gets shocked, his loving embrace leaves you, his eyes no longer loving but full of disgust  He leaves you to pity yourself, ignores you in an attempt to remove every trace of being with you since your association is a source of shame for him. This sweetheart is none but the mirror of our own self, your conscience!

But honestly, mistakes are essential for without them there is no learning, no growth. Our mistakes make us sensitive to others. Our mask has to lift first to see beyond the mask of others. It doesn't prick to see in others what you have already seen in yourself, a sight of weakness! You become mature and understand people, knowing that their actions are not crimes but human frailty. To love people, unconditionally, one has to experience their dark side first. Without that judgment is inevitable. With this realization the world doesn't remain imperfect anymore. Masks don’t remain a topic to criticize on but rather, manifestation of the same reality in multiple forms.