Oscar Wilde once said, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” Reading this I was rather confused at first, as the vagueness of the entire sentence made it hard to interpret. But once I put myself in the position of the “man”, it all became much clearer.
I have interpreted this quote as the power of anonymity, and how it changes our actions and beliefs. Oscar Wilde declares that people can only act as their true selves in ambiguity. With just a simple cover people will completely change and start to admit or do things that nobody in their life could not imagine. We see how this statement holds truth in the court of law. Would most witnesses really tell the truth without the justice system providing them protection? I think not. This leaves us to think of what people do behind the scenes and question our trust against everyone we have known. Then you may ask, “Can we ever really trust anyone again, after knowing that they would lie straight into our faces without a disguise?” for which I would remind you that you are searching for a mask yourself. Is it not ironic that a mask used to cover up someone’s identity can be the only way to ever see that “identity” a person holds? Everyone wants to be free with their opinions and ideas but none of us have that freedom yet.
But all that being said, I don’t necessarily assume the truth of this quote to be a bad thing, it is a part of human nature after all. To fit in, to be a part of the tribe and to not be excluded… These are all a part of our instincts as humans are social species. What should be sad though, is that some people cannot show their true nature because of the fear of being judged. I believe as we keep growing as a society that we should learn to accept and love more instead of judging and criticizing, because if we do really follow this path, nobody would have to wear a mask to express themselves.