There comes a point in every life when the mask must drop. We all wear them, nobody is the same person in all circumstances and with all people. It would be insanity to behave exactly the same way with your children as with business clients.
Some people wear more masks than others. They watch, listen and adapt. They become whatever they need to become to remain serene, to fit in and suit the present company. People most in danger of being misunderstood or oppressed are the most skillful in evasion.
These evasions have a cost and they have limits. They can lead us to believe that we are something different than we are, at which point they cast a shadow and the longer we ignore this shadow, the greater it haunts us. Masks can also invite a persona, an anima or animus to display other hidden parts of us that could help us break free.
When does the mask drop? Does it fall off with enough time left to find a version of you that is most content and at peace with the world? Or will that moment wait until your death bed?