Your 3 faces – reflections. The Japanese say that one has three faces. The first face is the one you show to the world, the second face is the one you show to those closest to you, and the third face you never show to anyone. The third face is the truest reflection of who you are. Combine this with the fact that everyone sees you through their own lens of reality, which leads to an uncountable amount of versions and interpretations of who “you” are.
If you take the time and think about it the Japanese are right. One might argue that we have more than three faces. There are many that claim that they are always themselves, and this correct. Having these faces does not mean that you are not being yourself. It just shows the adaptability the human species has developed and thus your own adaptability. As a species which has survived by being in groups it is only natural for us to adapt to our surroundings. The face you wear at work is different from the face you show at home. Your colleagues are a group which has been chosen for you, where your group at home has been chosen by yourself or is a group you have been part of for a great deal of your life.
The survival mechanism for both situations are much different.
The third face, which one could call their “true” face is the one you show yourself. You are the only one who knows all of your darkest thoughts and deepest secrets. You might share some with others but I am sure you carefully select who gets to know which thought or secret. Some of your thoughts are radically different to the norm of the group, some of your thoughts reflect the darkest part of yourself, while other thoughts fill you with so much joy that you keep them to yourself in fear of another ruining the experience with their possible judgement. In actuality the “true” face is the one you would want to show the world. If you manage to gather a group in which you can show this face, you would experience true total freedom.
Even in such a group everyone would have a different experience of “you”. As we all see the world from our own perspective and experiences. Not only because we all have our own views of the group, what should be the norm of the group and what values the group should uphold. When everyone wears their “true” face they will no longer act and think from a group standpoint but from a purely personal need. Would we survive as a species if this was the case? The answer is debatable.
But then why do we have a “true” face? Well I think that our “true” face is needed to keep ourselves and the species moving forward. It is what ensures that we can relate to various personalities but also ensures that we can keep ourselves in check. We are the only ones who can truly and accurately interpret our truest reflection and thus adjust aspects of ourselves accordingly. This is the core of our adaptability.
Your 3 faces – reflections … Are you truly being the real version of yourself and is it possible that everyone interprets the correct version of you?
