Ravindra Ramadhar

Once upon a time

When it comes to putting on a façade for people, I don’t like the idea of anyone doing it.
But on the other hand, the Façade people put on, is inevitable. Stepping out of your comfort zone
whether it be a change in environment, meeting a new face or for the sake of emotional comfort
usually requires putting on a face. In moderation, this is acceptable, however, taking things to the
extreme can lead to many issues and setbacks. To name a few, putting on a face can lead to
paranoia, social anxiety, and trust issues. As seen by the father in the poem. And in my opinion,
unwillingly being nice to someone who is not important to you is not worth the effort. But if you
isolate yourself and don’t have many social interactions can lead self-esteem issues, lack of
communication skills and depression. Personally, I rarely used to do it but as of now I find
myself in situations where if I don’t do it, I will say nothing and be very awkward and quiet. I
don’t enjoy it, but I must do it for the sake of mental health. To recapitulate, do it but don’t enjoy
it and I despise it but I’m not against it.

I have a friend who wears a face perpetually, he used to do it for everyone at school but
as we became friends, which was a very long process, he started acting like himself. When we
would talk to other close friends, he would just act slightly different but if we were with what he
considers, ‘unimportant people’, he would just change personalities and become the most
outgoing and witty person you’ll ever meet. In contrast, when we would be alone, he would talk
slower and in a lower pitch, he would still be witty, but it was more genuine. He told me that if
he doesn’t put on the façade people would not like to be around him as much as they do. He told
me that it mostly came from parental neglect and that he tried changing his personality to be
more outgoing but ended up creating a separate persona. Someone once said to him, “Your entire
personality is, one moment you have the biggest smile then the next it’s just a completely black
expression.” This really got to him and apophony that it was unhealthy and that he should stop,
currently he is doing his best to not do it as much and to get to the point where he is himself
around everyone else