I have never been a fan of people. In my experience, they often tend to be selfish, impulsive and arrogant. It has always been far easier for me to immerse myself in any good video game or some other fantastical world, be it in a book or on a screen. When I tell people this, they often think I have cut myself off from the world, choosing to live in a made up one, apart from their own.

That isn’t the case though, as I am quite comfortable living in the real world. As I’ve said before, I’m just not a fan of people.

To me, people are just like a mask. They come in different shapes, sizes and colors. They can have intricate patterns and designs or can be plain and simple. I’d even definitely wear one or a few. Generally, it’s not a matter of whether people have a mask. It’s a question of how many.

These masks can be for anything: It can be a high-pitched sing-song voice to hide discontent, a strong front to hide their fears, putting others down in an effort to seem superior, or simply a way to hide themselves, as they believe those around them won’t like them for who they are.

Some of these masks have worn people for so long, it’s hard to tell where the mask ends, and the person begins. With others, you can almost see the gears turning behind the façade, wondering what the best course of action to take. In other words, what would my mask give my current situation? Regardless of how well the mask fits, there’s one universal truth, everyone wears one.

This isn’t necessarily always a bad thing. However, I do believe we are required to wear our masks, for whatever reason, every once in a while. Just don’t expect me to like you when I’m presented with an empty carcass of what you actually are.

Although I feel this way, I’m not completely cynical, at least not yet. While I don’t like people, I do like individuals. There’s always those few special ones you meet. They somehow have the magical ability to just brighten the room for everyone who’s lucky enough to be occupying it. They’re what I consider to be the real deal. I’m sure you know at least one or two.

Unfortunately, they’re extremely rare. But I believe that if people just took off their masks more often, maybe they wouldn’t suck as much.