Why do we often hide behind masks?We vacillate between the impulse to reveal ourselves and the impulse to protect ourselves with a blanket of privacy. We long both to be known and to remain hidden. We build walls around us for a number of reasons. Our culture seems to admire the cool hero like James Bond who is tough, self reliant, emotionally inexpressive, detached from personal involvement. And some of us suppose that we will be liked if we can become such rugged individualists who allow no one inside our strong exteriors. Indeed, some will admire us for those qualities. But admiration does not necessarily lead to contentment....
