Could our virtual masks hide a personality issue?

In the not too distant past, the idea of someone in a mask was exciting and romantic and reminded one of highwaymen and masked balls. “The Face behind the Mask!” is a phrase that resonated with mystery and excitement.

But since Covid “the face behind the mask” has taken on a completely new meaning. Now everyone wears a mask as a matter of course. The mask has become a standard part of our everyday attire and we no longer recognize our own friends in the street unless we can recognize their hairstyles!

While the mask has become our greatest protective device against the disease, to some talented designers it has almost become a fashion statement!

But what does it mean psychologically when everyone is seen as a potential threat and anyone who does not wear a mask is shunned?  This will surely have repercussions for all of us for a very long time to come.

But there’s also another type of mask that we have to deal with:

The Virtual Mask – A Personality Issue

We’ve all come across people who hide behind imaginary or virtual masks – people whose facial expressions belie their true feelings and whose real personalities are hidden behind façades.

Whatever reasons they may have for hiding behind their masks, they set up barriers to real communication and make it difficult for anyone to really understand them.

They are afraid that people won’t accept them for who they are. And they want to hide their fears, weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

When they wear their masks they feel a lot safer because no-one can see their vulnerabilities. But they are really like ostriches with their heads in the sand and their game of pretence has the unwanted effect of blocking off any type of genuine communication.

So how can we move aside the masks and get to know what really motivates these people?

The Clues in Handwriting

Handwriting does not deceive. With a genuine understanding of handwriting we can understand what a writer is really saying behind the subterfuge.

By concentrating on the forms and shapes of the letters we are able to look beyond the actual words being used.

We are able to remove the mask, expose the true nature of the writer and uncover the hidden meaning behind the written words.

You see, when we write we unconsciously reveal certain aspects of our personalities without realizing that we are exposing some of our deepest secrets. Even when we try to change the way we write we cannot disguise our true personalities.

Our fears and insecurities, our little vanities and efforts to impress – all these things are open to scrutiny once we know what to look for in the handwriting.

The Hidden Benefit

There is a hidden message in every single handwriting that you see.  And when you are able to access that message you get a deeper understanding of the person who wrote the lines.

The obvious advantage of being able to read handwriting is that we get to  understand people better – people from all walks of life.

But there is also a hidden benefit.  We get to learn more about ourselves in the process.