[Verus]

Okay, so I am a 13 year old male INFP who hides my true emotions, and thoughts, and ideas from friends and family. The only people who know how I really am are me, god, people on the internet, and well that's it. I always feel like people are judging me (Heck even my friends call me ugly and bucked-tooth and mouse-face) and I feel like I will just become an object of ridicule if I express how I truly am. I act like a bit of an ENTP to them (That is my mask) and I dont know what to do. Does anyone else have a "mask"? Is it due to introversion? Help me please?

 

[ItsRelative]

That's normal, we all have our masks depending on the situation, no matter if we are conscious of it or not Only when we truly feel we can be without ridicule can we be without masks. BTW, that mask is part of you too and it's useful.

Oh, just my opinion, but when we are completely free we say most random things and act kinda goofy xD

 

[IAmOrangeToday]

I have a Fe mask. Over time I'm learning to open up to certain people more though and it's so worth it because of the depth of connection you can establish with that person.

 

[leopold]

Okay, so I am a 13 year old male INFP who hides my true emotions, and thoughts, and ideas from friends and family. The only people who know how I really am are me, god, people on the internet, and well that's it. I always feel like people are judging me (Heck even my friends call me ugly and bucked-tooth and mouse-face) and I feel like I will just become an object of ridicule if I express how I truly am. I act like a bit of an ENTP to them (That is my mask) and I dont know what to do. Does anyone else have a "mask"? Is it due to introversion? Help me please?

I had this problem myself a long time. You might have the subconscious imprint, that your parents would abandon you, if you told them what moves you and if you can't trust your parents, it's hard to trust anyone else. Try to work on the fear of being true to yourself and showing yourself to others - this has nothing to do with some psychological theory, it's part of growing up.

 

[Kynx]

Yes, it's inevitable to end up using a mask imo. People that are both interested and able to understand are few and far between.

I don't pretend to be anything I'm not, I simply select which parts of my personality to reveal or not reveal in each situation

 

[kaleidoscope]

My mask is not another personality type, I just simply conceal who I really am or what I really think, and act more like what's expected of me. It tends to fluctuate depending on whether it's my parents, acquaintances, teachers. I think it's perfectly normal.

Obviously, I loathe myself every moment I do that because I want nothing more than to be myself, but I'm very willing to take off that mask for those who I feel will appreciate what's underneath it.

 

[krentz]

I am even reluctant to allow certain parts of myself to shine through with people that I know (let's call them acquaintances or as more accurately as infpblog might say, 'weak ties'). To show all of who I am to people who I don't feel will appreciate or validate that is a frightening thought, as the pain of rejection is so piercing, even though the fear of expression might arguably be as bad. Especially considering your age; while I say this not so much to reflect on you, but I have found immature people are even worse when they're young because they don't have to pretend to be civil and they generally have less of a sense of perspective. They can be so... volatile. Cast not your pearls before swine, I say.

Sure, it's not an ideal solution. But truthfully I'm still figuring it out. I'm not sure if I'll ever find an answer. Though I find what others have said to be most true, at the risk of repeating them - I just allow different sides of my personality to shine through with different people. Some people I just can't click with at all, in which case I make every possible attempt not to ever have to interact with them. There are select few people in my life who I would consider to know me intimately, but I have thankfully had a few. Your problem I think is familiar to many people. The downside of having such potential for depth is that there are few people out there able to accommodate it. In fact even without playing the "depth" card I just think people in general hide a lot of the same fears and insecurities but just react in different ways, because we can all be such distinct individuals and not everyone is accepting of that. I'm sorry I have no real advice, but at least you know you're not alone.

 

[bellisaurius]

In reality, there is no true self. You tomorrow won't be the same as you yesterday: Continuity, but not identity.

I say this because feeling that you hold back your true self may eventually start to cause you to be distant simply for the sake of being distant, which may cause you to miss out on some good interactions in the long run- Tactically, you're doing what you have to. Iif people are attacking, its better to keep a distance from them. I'm just warning to be careful in confusing tacticall necessity, and a philosophical truth.

Oh, and I should mention, that on one level, us entps wear masks, but on another level we don't; we just accept that our best way of communicating and being liked is by adapting the message to our audience, a good entp accepts that the maskactually is part of themselves, an avatar of their true nature.

 

[ComedianINFP]

@Verus , first of all, I am very impressed that you are 13 and know your personality type well enough to articulate it. Wow. Let me also try to encourage you that although you will always have masks that will find yourself wearing throughout your life (like at your job, or on a team) you will especially find yourself having a mask when you are a teenager. That's not only normal, it's pretty necessary. All these new experiences in your life mean you constantly have to do new things and relate to new people. Before you can be comfortable in those new areas, sometimes wearing a mask for awhile makes that easier.

 

[rbgj]

Honestly, I think this has a lot to do with intimacy and trust. At least that's how I've always looked at it. The more intimate you are with someone, the more you trust them, the more you'll take your mask off. Sure, I'd love to have the courage to never wear any kind of mask. But that's just not how the world works. You let people in gradually.