Masquerade

Animals give no fake expressions. If a lion is hungry, he will look so. If a dog wants you to pet it, it will let you know that. It’s just the miserable homosapiens that are burdened with the boon and bane of fake smiles, crocodile tears and masked expressions.

But what is the root cause behind all the shenanigans? Why is it incredibly difficult for us to wear our hearts out on our sleeves, so to speak? Why do we feel utterly naked and vulnerable if we reveal our true emotions?

The answer to all this lies in our very nature. We are afraid to be taken advantage of, afraid to be taken for granted. And the fear is absolutely legitimate to exist. Dealing with myriad experiences, we fall back into our cocoon of solitude, afraid to open up again. But seclusion is not a permanent solution. This coerces us to put on a cloak in order to hide the reality behind. Hence, it is said, don’t judge a book by its cover. Appearances are deceptive. The harshest looking people will have the softest of the hearts.

Human relationships are so complex that deception of appearances is a norm to maintain a good and healthy one. A smile could be hiding pain worse than the wound of a thousand arrows. We do it for so many reasons — avoid hurting loved ones, unwillingness to explain the cause of the true emotional state and perhaps selfish motives. Or it might just be a feeble attempt to portray strength of character when a burden is put on your shoulder in the scheme of things without giving you the time to prepare yourself. But that IS life, isn’t it? Full of surprises.

Believe in maintaining the simplicity of things. Communicate. Don’t wait for the other party to make a move. Perhaps they are thinking the same. Take the initiative. You might not realise it but such simple steps can help out a lot and save a lot of suffering later.