I always knew that we could never really be ourselves whenever we want to.
We’re always viewed a certain way, people expect certain things from us, and we feel obliged to act that way, or compelled to do so to prevent social resentment.
If you have time, read “My Secret Life as a Black Man” by Anthony Walton. Basically, he says, blacks have this certain style of acting dictated by society and family. Even strangers would spite him for doing something “out of the ordinary” because of his skin color. His parents say he’s too much of something else, his white peers think him weird, his black friends think him arrogant. So he tries to appeal to them all by being a certain person in front of all of them. (He also said this awesome line that I can’t remember at the moment and will dig it up later.)
Everyday, you can notice how people act. They’re not fully open about themselves. They speak sparingly. It’s like those small talks you have for the sake of it and nothing gets known. ‘Cause you know what happens when you do act like yourself? People feel weird and they can’t accept it. Hence, you react and only show a side of yourself to them.
At what point can you be yourself?
