I see the image below as someone putting a mask, creating their Persona, and putting their personal identity behind a bar. All is done in order to satisfy what the society has requested. What society expect from its people.
source : https://www.pinterest.com/explore/meaningful-drawings/
There are many way to be fitted into a society.
Given an example of a life in higher class neighborhood.
There are people who originally rich and can be easily fitted in with their surrounding, there are people who love however they want, without struggling to be in those in higher class, and there is always at least someone who try to fit in, will do any possible things to get recognize as someone in the higher class. And the person in the last category might even make a new Persona, and keep their own lives behind the bar, keep it away from others as well as for herself.
Then come the question, does society really ask so, or is that what people assume what society ask them ?
Let’s see another example of life, probably you could find in your own life, or your neighborhood.
Back in downtown, you could see people walking to their place of work, groups of young girls heading to their school, or just an old guy hanging around in the neighborhood coffee shop. You could spot two people sitting across each other in a café, one with a happy smile while the other try to focus on his work. Two people in the same environment but with two completely different expressions.
On the other side of the city, single mom struggling with financial situation, but will still smile when other ask how is it going, despite the fact that she would cry in the corner of her place. A young man just graduated from university, in what they call as normal, you are supposed to work in some big company or what so ever. He is struggling as job seeker, but has to put a strong type of mask in his face just to make people stop asking anything further. A little child got bullied in school but once got home put a happy-smiley mask just because he is afraid what might come if his parent knows about it. Maybe in this sense we used to hear it as putting a happy face, an –I am okay- kind of face. But I personally think that as a mask. A mask which will keep people away, a mask which will prevent me as a person from getting hurt from people words, from people expectation, and from myself.
I believe, people will - realizing it or not - put a mask on their face from to time to time. Being in different situation, meeting people from some backgrounds, somehow force you to put on your mask so that you are “eligible” to be part of whatever you are surrounded with.
What the worst is, a person put their mask on in order not to be ask further. To be left alone on their own world.
Back to the society, does it really ask people in a way that people have to put their true identity behind the bar?
