Learning impaired children face many challenges, one of the most important being their battle for self-esteem. Having been through the trials and tribulations of their formative years, learning impaired adults are able to give vivid insight into what challenges learning difficulties present. The school environment proves to be the main grounds from which many learning impaired children fell negative pressure. They often “feel defeated, worthless, and dumb” (p. 94 par. 3), due in no small part to a lack of understanding by their fellow peers and teachers. To cope with hurt and maintain some semblance of self-esteem, children who have difficulty learning often try to hide their burden under a mask. This mask is at best palliative, failing to eradicate the root cause of the problem. At worst, children fail to be diagnosed for appropriate treatment due to their hiding of symptoms. However, these masks can be removed once the child comes to terms with his learning disability.
I chose this article because self-esteem is like a mountain; one which we must all climb. The search for self and the appreciation of self are two components essential to a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, I feel that I can personally related to what is being said. Every second reading that passage created an “ah ha” moment for me. Although I cannot say I know the hardships children with learning disabilities must face, I can only imagine it would be amplified many times in comparison with what I have to relate. I remember a time when I wore the mask of nonchalance. I was not doing so well in school, and so I chose to ignore that fact. I convinced myself that it was because I didn't care about grades, when really I was close to tears every time a bad test score came back.
While reading the article, I kept thinking about how hard it is to keep up each of those masks. Take for example the mask of the clown, which encompasses making others laugh. How can one endure so much happiness and laughter around him when he is hurting badly inside? People have probably been telling him all his life to just be himself. But the truth is, he cannot be realistically be himself without losing all of his self-esteem. This trade-off is one I hope that I never have to make, but one children with learning difficulty have to make on a daily basis.
As I read every archetypal mask, I could see a certain individual in my life who exemplifies that character. Although some of these examples do not necessarily have to do with learning disability, they definitely hold true to the masks that people wear. I had the opportunity to work with “at-risk” children and children with autism last summer. While volunteering at the summer camp, I met a kid who stood out from the rest. He would always be the first to complain. If we took the kids to the park, he would complain that the other group visited the Aquarium. When we actually did take a tour of the Aquarium, he declared that watching fish was “for babies.” But when I asked him where he really would like to go, this frail grade 4 boy would be silent. I know he is a nice kid, but his mask of contempt is flawless.
Although I have not yet worked with him for a protracted period of time, S has both impressed
and baffled me. When I first met S, I had no idea how to approach him. I thought he disliked me, but he behave in that way to almost everybody. He was always respectful, but could be a little disengaged. The best way I can describe him in relevance of the article, is that he puts on a mask of super competence. He tries as hard as he can to refuse help, insisting the sufficiency of his own abilities. But it baffles me again as he really does seem capable of doing of what he claims. He just wants to be on his own. I have tried to say hi in the hallways, but he just walks away, wearing the mask of the silent, strong type. I can't say I know S very well, but it puzzles me as to why he would wear those two masks. He seems like he could be very sociable if he just opened up to people a little bit more. Although I won't be able to do it on my own, one of my goals with S is to get him to open up a little bit more. Give him someone he can trust and depend on, even if it's something as small as being there when he needs help with schoolwork. I agree with what the article said in that S may opt to lose the masks if he had reached a certain level of comfort with his environment. His apprehension with this new environment is understandable given that it is his first few weeks of high school.
I have definitely developed a different view of interpersonal relationships thanks to this article. Although I have never been a person quick to judge someone based on outwards appearance, I never fully understood why some people have to behave the way they do. After reading this article, I think I will be able to categorize most people according to said archetypes. Instead of thinking that a person is such a jerk, I think I may have the courage now to say that he's just wearing a mask, and there's probably a much nicer person somewhere inside; it's just up to to me find him.
Furthermore, I know that I will constantly assess myself to see if I need any of those said masks in social situations. If I find myself being someone other than myself, I will need to find balance in my life so that I need not use a mask. In the future, I may encounter instances where I need to put on a mask to survive office politics or to cope with work. I now know that such behaviour hints at a certain level of discomfort on my part, or the fact that my self-esteem is being undermined. Instead of accepting it as a norm to the career, I can make a informed decision to change my career path, or at least find a place of work where I feel comfortable. Although that is all so much in the future, it's never too early for me to realize the importance of being myself, and feeling good about it.
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