Dissociation

Who we are is often very different from the person we show to the world. We reveal different parts of ourselves depending on the people around us and the circumstances we find ourselves in. We call it social adaptation. We are even told not to let others see who we really are, lest they hurt us. This piece questions what happens when we split ourselves into multiple faces. Beneath our protective personas lie the bones of those who have endured trauma and pain. When these protectors appear too dark or harsh, another mask is born: inviting, harmless, even lovely. The outside world fails to recognize the distorted image beneath. Perhaps the harshest truth of this fragmentation is that the more masks we wear, the further we cast our hearts away.