Ladies and Gentlemen,

The masks we wear, everyday when we leave the house, when we meet the people we know. They're not really 'us'. It's not 'us' at all. Let me break it down for you.

Firstly, we put on masks to hide the fact that we're inadequate and utterly useless. It's important that we do this because we don't want other people to look down on us. We can't take the backlash, the ridicule, the insults. We want to look good. We need to look good. It is the way society is run.

Secondly, we put on masks to appeal, and more often than not, we get so carried away with 'being ourselves' that we become the exact opposite. Essentially, we try to hard to be people that we're not. Why do we do this? Again, because we want to be accepted, to feel needed. If we don't feel needed in a community like ours, then what is our purpose? Where do we fit in then? The urge and utmost desire to 'fit in' forces us to conform to other people's ideals. Mostly our friends.

But, is it worth it? Is it worth being someone you're not? Well of course it is (unfortunately). You must realise that I only say this because, this is our world. We made it this way. We chose to judge people, stereotype, ridicule, and make people outcasts. And what makes this worse is that now we do it unknowingly. Why? So that we can conform, and be 'cool'. We fool people into thinking we're generous, kind, trustworthy, friendly. But by doing this, we more or less plot our own downfall. Of course this is because people behave in such a way: First, they like what they see, and become attracted to it. Once they are entirely drawn into something, they choose to explore something deeper, something more meaningful, because a familiar face fails to invoke interest anymore. And then, when the true character, identity, and personality of a person is revealed, the aftertaste is as bad as blended papaya juice.

So in the end, it is important to realise that looks count for a lot in this world, but they only go so far. Of course some of you will disagree on this, but in order for a relationship to have meaning, to be fulfilling, there has to be a certain level of understanding between the two parties. One way a relationship progresses is where both parties are able to constantly and actively engage in effective communication which is always enriching. "Enriching" encompasses being able to enjoy each other's company and being able to take something out of it, be it a lesson learnt (from that person's personality to almost anything) or just another good feeling in the pit of your stomach.

Even though people choose to judge you or stereotype you even before they met you, don't get angry. Anger is never the answer. As cliche as that sounds, it's true. So the way of going about this is to always remember that in this life, the way people feel about you doesn't count as much as the way you make them see the goodness in you. People don't bother to give a second look if you're not good looking, or you're not 'cool', but overreacting and overdoing things is not the way to go. The way to go, is to make sure you are who you want to be, who you choose to be, and that you show this side of yourself, not the side that inadvertently inflicts pain, or shows the warped ideas you have about the human psyche.

That is all.