Seriously, have you ever laughed with people, made jokes, and acted like everything was fine, only to feel completely different inside when you were alone? I think many of us have experienced this at one point or another and I can totally relate to this.
Sometimes, the person making everybody laugh is also the person who goes home with a heavy heart. The person who always checks up on others might be the one wishing somebody would ask them, "Are you really okay?" It is strange how we can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely.
We can have conversations, smile for pictures, laugh at jokes, and even make other people happy while dealing with things we don't know how to talk about. But why do we do this? Why is it sometimes easier to laugh than to tell someone that we are hurting?
Personally, I think one reason is that we are afraid of being vulnerable. Nobody wants to feel exposed, especially when they don't know how the other person will react. Opening up about your struggles means allowing someone to see a side of you that you don't show everybody.
And honestly, that can be scary. You might be wondering whether they will understand you or judge you. You might be afraid they will look at you differently afterwards. Sometimes, we even worry that the person we are opening up to might use our own words against us someday.
Let's be honest, not everybody knows how to handle another person's pain. Some people will listen to you today and turn your story into gossip tomorrow. Others will tell you to stop worrying because there are people facing worse situations.
They may not realise it, but words like that can make someone regret opening up in the first place. After a few experiences like these, people start keeping things to themselves. They learn to say, "I'm fine," even when they are far from fine. They laugh things off because explaining what they are going through feels like too much work.
Personally, I don't like to burden others with my problems. Sometimes seen my friends struggling, my family dealing with different challenges, and everybody trying to survive in their own way. So, I always decide to keep my own worries to myself. And with this, they always think I'm strong and it's not that I'm strong, I just keep my problem to myself without bothering anyone.
If you me see encouraging someone, giving advice, making jokes, and trying to put smiles on other people's faces, you will think I have zero worry. But deep down I have my own worry I just don't show it.
And because I know that when I am the ones having a difficult day, I don't always know who to turn to. Sometimes, all I ever want is for someone to notice that something is different. I don't necessarily need advice or somebody to solve all my problems. I just want a person who can sit with me, listen without judging, and allow me to express myself without feeling ashamed.
So yes I can relate, people hide behind their pain because they know not everyone you tell your pain to really care. I also think people sometimes make the mistake of assuming that others are okay simply because they look happy. We see somebody laughing every day and conclude that they have nothing to worry about.
But we forget that we only see the part of their lives they allow us to see. Of course, not every smile is hiding sadness, and not everyone who keeps quiet is secretly struggling. But I believe we should learn not to take people's happiness as proof that everything in their lives is perfect.
A simple message asking someone how they are doing can mean a lot. And when you ask, try to make it a genuine question, not just something you say out of habit. More importantly, I think we need to create an environment where people feel safe enough to admit that they are not okay.
Nobody should feel that they have to pretend to be happy all the time just to be accepted by others . Life is already difficult enough. We all have days when things don't go as planned, when our minds are full of worries, or when we simply feel tired of trying to hold everything together.
I don't know who need to hear this, but always know that there is nothing wrong with admitting that you are not okay. You don't have to be strong every single day, you don't have to turn every painful experience into a joke. Sometimes, you are allowed to put the smile aside and tell someone how you truly feel.
If you are someone who hides your pain behind laughter, I hope you find people you can be yourself around. People who won't judge you for crying, who won't make you feel weak for asking for help, and who will listen even when you struggle to explain what is wrong. Because we all need somebody sometimes. Even the people who seem to have everything under control.
Thanks for checking on my blog and have a wonderful day