[Redway]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Interesting question.

I wouldn't necessary say I wear "masks" for different people, but "filters."

Sometimes people will project onto you what isn’t there when they see you, with their opinion about you, like with anyone, being filtered through their own personal internal frameworks to begin with, and that latter bit is never about you but them. Some people will see different but genuine sides of you and bring out that side in you. And those observations and opinions may-well be accurate enough as far as they go, but that’s just it. How far does it go when the person’s only seeing one side to you at-most?

Either way, I know what you mean when you say that people seeing different sides to you isn’t inherently masking, because the thing is you’re right. It doesn’t. But it’s still only one side. One fraction, even if it’s completely accurate within the context of that particular gaze on you. Modulating your transparency downwards so things are filtered out for people who aren’t that close to you is a fair boundary to have. We all need filters and containment.