Trust no one but Youself

I am wondering if everyone is playing pretend. All that cloak and dagger just to maintain a mirage. I should think we are all masters of Occlumency. Why is it that nothing is true and pure? Why cant we all be exactly who we are to everyone? You know, in such a world, there will be no wars, just peace and love. Everyone are friends, the truest of the true, and everyone will be happy. Of course, in an earlier post I have supposedly shown how such an utopian scenario will never come true. So despite knowing that we are not improving the situation by creating an iron curtain, we still do it anyway.
I stand more and more alone nowadays..
Perhaps it is a natural instinct, to be self-protective in face of strangers. But we must ask ourselves, why even among friends this curious phenomena occur. Arent friends supposed to be open and true? Classmates are hardly strangers, especially if you see them everyday, 5 days a week, about 200 days of a year, for 2 or more years. Yet we must conceed that we do not know a lot about them. Knowledge about your friend is limited indeed if you ask yourself closely.
S18 should be renamed Class of Shadows..
Some people lament that there are hardly any lasting relationships these days, only permanent interests. Have we allowed ourselves to become real evidence that everyone is selfish? Perhaps. I have long believed in the truth that people are motivated for themselves ultimately. Maybe you only need to be well-connected. A favour here, a request there. It sounds like a big spider sitting in the middle of a gigantic web, not actually expending effort but still gets things done.
Such is the sad face of reality.
Still, I think learning to laugh at yourself and at your own mistakes is a good way to prevent yourself closing up too rapidly. Oh its the ultimate Occlumency trick. Laughing at yourself when others tease you, or admitting that you have made a mistake. Or just laughin at your own flaws can have a surprising effect of accepting them. Moping in a corner is hardly the solution, because that means you do not want to face reality. It only prepares yourself for another attack on your flaws by others one day. When attacked repeatedly, you get hurt, distrust everyone around you, and you close up behind that mask. So get going and learn to laugh at yourself.
If I didnt know this, I would have long crumbled under the weight of all those people teasing at my numerous flaws.
In the first place, why other people laugh at you about your flaws, may be due to 2 reasons. First, they dunno anything about you. So they of course pick your flaws. Second, they may know you personally, and care for you. Different people show different ways of caring, incidentally. They may laugh, tell you face to face seriously, or write letters, etc, the list goes on. Everyone has different methods based on personality. So I dun have to get so worked up everytime someone points out my flaws.
Kyan, cheer up girl! Its only a joke.. Accept it and act on it. Or you dun wan to. Up to u.
That masks are worn to maintain that facade, shows something serious here. I'm not sure what it maybe. Face(Mian Zi)? Show of strength? Show of charisma? Matureness? I dunno. Maybe I myself is already under a mask. If its true, then its most certainly for the purpose of a show of strength and charisma.
Even between the closest of friends such walls are erected.
All that mask, I must now learn to decipher mood patterns, that run contrary to norms. When people smile at you, you should be on your guard more. The chance is likely that he/she maybe plotting how best to blast you out of the way. Heaven knows I need Legilimency.