How well do you truly know a person

Do you truly know the people who surround you? How well do you know that girl or guy you chat with in class?
You’re probably most familiar with the friends you hang out with every day. Or do you just know what they want you to know?
Everyone has their own reasons to make you believe a certain side of them is who they are in full. In a world where you are judged daily for what you wear, what you say and how you act, it’s not surprising for people to find ways to cover up who they honestly are. I believe people cover up who they truly are by wearing a social mask; a mask they use to be accepted, loved and adored by their peers. People wear these social masks to blend in with their environment and hide their true self, even when they don’t have to.
Instead of being their true selves they become one of many different personalities: the dramatic one, the shy one, the funny one, the loud one, or maybe even the sneaky one.
People yearn to be the person they believe others want them to be and, by doing so, make the mistake of defining themselves in the eyes of others.
Those who aren’t busy being what they think someone else wants them to be are often preoccupied trying to (simply) be someone else. As a species, we are quick to emulate those who have qualities or possessions that we lack. We want to be that model, actor or athlete so desperately that we compromise our own values to achieve their perceived superiority. We do not hesitate to trace the path of others in order to form a mask that resembles someone else’s face.
Why do people choose to carry on with these extensive facades? They seem to value other people’s happiness over their own. They would rather be accepted and loved by others for being someone else than to accept and love themselves for being who they are. This can easily lead to depression, anxiety and many mental disorders, including body dysmorphia.
In a world filled with people idolizing the richest, smartest, or most beautiful person they’ve seen on television or the Internet, we’re faced with a severe lack of self-expression and originality.
Perhaps, the people we should yearn to be like and fully understand are ourselves.