FRACTURE

I don’t usually get the chance to meet new people. I prefer to keep myself lonely as much as possible. But whenever I do make a new friend, I don’t just greet them—I try to understand them. I try to feel the emotions they’re hiding beneath the smile.

Saying hello and asking someone how they are is just a normal conversation. But what I’ve noticed is that people lie almost every time. Every time I ask someone how they’re doing or how they feel, I know I’m probably not hearing the whole truth.

Almost nobody says they’re not okay when you first meet them—unless you’re already very close. When people meet someone new, they instinctively hide their emotions, even if they’ve spent years wishing they had someone to share those feelings with.

Humans are strange. We grow up hearing that lying is wrong, that one lie leads to another, and that honesty is the greatest virtue. Yet we constantly lie about the things that hurt us the most and try to hide them—our emotions, our struggles, and the lives we’re really living.

No one likes to tell a stranger that they cried themselves to sleep last night, or that they’re desperately hoping someone will truly understand them and make the weight they’re carrying feel a little bit lighter.

Deep down, most people are simply looking for someone who will listen to them without judging, respect their thoughts, and notice the little things about them.

I don’t think it’s wrong to hide your emotions from strangers. What’s strange is that hiding your emotions often means lying about them—pretending you’re okay when you’re actually not. We tell ourselves it’s just easier that way. We smile, say we’re fine, and carry on.

Maybe that’s why I try to understand people beyond their words. I don’t just listen to what they say—I watch their eyes, their expressions, and the pauses between their sentences, wondering what they’re trying to keep hidden. I may never know what they’re hiding, but I know they’re hiding something.

People hide themselves behind smiles and simple answers. And sadly, I do the same… all the time. Maybe that makes me strange too.