Blossom Fearie :
One reason is survival mode. If people feel intimidated, dumb, or less than, they get mean, passive aggressive, jealous, resentful, embarrassed, etc. We get bullied; sometimes outright, often in subtle, underlying ways. They feel threatened, and it’s not always conscious. We put a spotlight on deficiencies, or something that we have that they want by just being ourselves. Not everyone has pattern recognition, emotional intelligence, or confidence. Not everyone has a curiosity about this experience. Not everyone asks questions; some don’t know what to ask. Once the gap between intelligence widens enough, communicating becomes more challenging for both parties. Masking gives us breathing room. Not a perfect system, but that choice is up to the individual. Fight, flight, or fawn. Doing this is exhausting, and when you realize in a roomful of peers, you don’t have to do any of that, you start being more selective in the rooms you choose, and altering yourself for others becomes a thing of the past.
2026-08-24 22:43:10