Anne Tam
3rd Hour
February 18, 2009

The Masks We Wear

1) The masks I wear are the mask of happiness, and calmness. Other then when I am at home, I am always “wearing” the mask of happiness. I do this because I do not want others to know if I am upset because then they will feel bad, and I dislike it when people feel bad for me. I also “wear” the mask of calmness because I do not like showing any emotion besides happiness outside of my house.

2) What contributes to me wearing different “masks” is my relationship with the person. For example, my parents, I do not really have to wear a mask. I show my true self to them, no matter how mean or hostile I am because I do not care what they think of me, but with my friends, I usually wear a happiness mask. It also depends on how close I am with the person. I tend to show more of my true self, however not completely, if I am closer to the person.

3) Yes, there are differences between the way I want to be seen by my parents and by my friends. It is this way because I am not really that close with my parents, and that makes me not care how they see me. I feel like I don’t have to try to be nice, or make them like me, so I don’t really wear a mask around my parents, I can just be myself. Around my friends however, I feel like I have to be nicer and happier just because I feel like they won’t like me as much if I acted the way I did around my parents around them.

4) Yes, I wear a certain mask at school, and in the classroom, but they do not change from activity to activity, or class to class. I keep a happy and calm mask on whenever I am in school. To me, I feel like school life and home life are two different things. All the emotions I feel at home, no matter how sad or mad I am, when I come to school, I am happy. I think it is because I do not want people to know I am upset, so when I am at school, I am happy and if something is wrong, I pretend that everything is perfect.

5) Yes, I reveal different masks to different friends. I feel like the friends closer to me know the real me, and I “wear” less masks around them because they have known me for so long, and I feel like even if I am not happy 24/7, they will still like me. The friends that I am not so close with, or am just acquaintances with, I “wear” the most masks around them, mostly the happy mask. I am afraid that if I show my real self, then they will not like me.

6) Yes, my mask changes for members of the opposite sex. I think around males, I am more awkward and giddy. Around females, I am just happy. I think this is because people always want to make the opposite sex like them, even if they have a significant other. I also change my ask for people of different ages because I act more mature and nice when I am around adults and/or people older than I am. However, I do not change my mask for different race, religion, etc.

7) My masks are reshaped from day to day depending on my feelings and emotions. I think that if I am tired or something happened throughout the day, I am less happy towards my not-so-close friends, and more hostile towards my closest friends. The weather also affects my masks. I feel more happy when the weather is dark and gloomy, then when it is sunny and bright.

8) My concept of the “ideal” mask is to be happy all the time when I am with my friends, no matter how close or not close I am to them. I am striving to attain that “persona” because it would make it more fair to all my friends that are closer to me, and so they don’t have to feel my hostility when I am feeling a little upset.