In choosing to display to others only what fits the public image we hope for, we have to watch what we do and what we say. Posing in this way robs us of spontaneity and deprives us of new experiences. Ironically, when we conceal our vulnerability and avoid the risk of lowered self-esteem, we may miss out on opportunities to increase our feelings of self-worth. Misguided efforts at protecting our image can diminish how much more we might value who we are.
There are times when we may have no other option than to divide parts of our selves and hide them away, but even then the constraints required are scarcely worth the safety gained. Once revealed, our darker sides can be transformed by exposure to the light.
We all juggle too many selves. Life sometimes seems a poorly constructed masquerade that exposes what we hoped to hide. We have to learn to live with some of the contradictions between our revealed and our concealed selves. Otherwise, the discrepancy and the inconsistency make us feel like frauds, acting our way through unreal experiences in meaningless lives.
It’s hard to enjoy life when you’re watching it from over your own shoulder.