grace

Masking Our Vulnerabilities

To wear a mask or to walk with our vulnerabilities on display, that is the question that four of your blogging peers came out to answer. So let’s get to their responses but first, let Rosema’s poetic quote set the stage for our discussion:

“Our vulnerability is our soul’s holes that we can fill by either improving them, or accepting them.”

— Rosema from A Reading Writer

I love that analogy of vulnerability being a ‘hole’ in the soul. It begs an important question which I have pondered a lot recently since the main character of my novel, Sarn from Curse Breaker: Enchanted, has some holes in his soul. So if you, like Sarn, have a ‘hole’ in your soul, do you expose that hole or do you mask it? I posed that question to the blogosphere at the end of What People Are Saying About Vulnerability.

Here’s what your peers had to say:

“I believe in being myself.”

— Jacqueline Obyikocha from A Cooking Pot and Twisted Tales

So we have one vote for being yourself no matter what and no votes for masks. Thank  you Jackie, let’s see what others have to say.
“I believe we all wear masks, some are made of saran wrap, some are made of steel.”

— Thorsaurus from Edited by Mjollnir

Ah so some folks do mask their weakness. I love the analogy Thorsaurus couches his answer in and the idea that some masks are translucent and thin while others are impregnable.

“To people I love I show nothing but my true self. He in particular deserves nothing less, I think. But with people I am not comfortable with or people who give me the creeps, while I don’t hide my true self, I don’t really let them see me at all. Because the thing is, although I’m aware brutal honesty can sometimes land me in trouble and it has many a times, I’d rather slap them with the truth than comfort with a lie.
Poetry has given me the courage to cast off whatever mask I may have had. No masks, I have only a shell to protect myself. I have no patience for pretense and honeyed words with bitter intent. In a nutshell, this is me: I am what I feel. How I am with you is how you make me want to be with you.

— Nandita from Manan Unleashed

For Nandita, masks are the way to go when trust is an issue. She made some excellent points about the scenarios when a mask is needed and when she shows her true self.

“Yes, like Nandita, I don’t usually wear mask. I am not sure if I have one especially when I am surrounded by people that I love. I hate lies and fakes, hence, I am trying or maybe I am not one.

— Rosema from A Reading Writer

Thank you Nandita, Rosema, Jacqueline and Thorsaurus for taking a moment to talk about vulnerability and whether or not you strut it around or hide it away.

What do you think? You’ve read the pros and cons of each side, what do you do? Or do you take a stance not represented here?

15 thoughts on “Masking Our Vulnerabilities”

  3. Thanks for agreeing with me. I’m no longer posting like I told you. But you know where to find me. 🙂 ❤ Lots of love to you

    Liked by 1 person

    3. Well, we no longer have the drive. Still writing of course.
      But sweet of you to say so. Thanks for everything. 🙂

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  4. Thank you Mel for quoting me. I’m at the moment with my toughest shell on. All my vulnerabilities now I make visible only to him 😉
    I’m in the process of closing down Manan Unleashed. This is the longest I’ve gone without posting anything (4 days!!!!). But that’s only because I’m saving all my work and the comments which have meant something to me at some point of the other. But I’m so glad I decided to go to my reader now. Be well and good luck in all your endeavours. Glad to have known you 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Thank you for this lovely and inspiring piece, Mel! And thank you for quoting me. I am at my lowest point currently and this is a timely reminder that I am human and my soul has holes. I dare not put a mask, I’ll embrace this darkness and grow out of it.
    Thank you, Mel!

    Liked by 1 person

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