We deceive

Hiding, lying, and the imagination all make sense now. The exploration provided by Oscar Wilde and Paul in Six Degrees of Separation revealed that art is only in response to existence. These works expanded my ability to recognize my identity, individuals who deceive, and the acceptance we create on earth. In other words, I feel penetrable because of the art I have discovered in this class.

Oscar Wilde compares lying and poetry to an expression of art. As someone who strives to be honest but gets sucked into dishonesty at times, Wilde helps me to become more flexible towards myself. I am learning, “Sometimes you do not want the burden of having your particular idea attributed to your social identity.” Dishonesty and masking can be described as a humane response to the dismissal of our own existence.

Lying and hiding might always be viewed as obstructiveness towards the good that exists in this world. I acknowledge that to this day, “it haunts me in the moments of pleasure,” and although Wilde expresses this in a different context, with respect, it applies to me. Even though it is not advisable, these are accessible measures to avoid judgment and disparagement. I have accepted that we endure feelings of inadequacy because we feel we may not be suited for a specific circumstance in our lives. As stated in the script of Six Degrees of Separation, we can either “face ourselves” or use the imagination to make self-examination bearable. My insights are not to excuse or endorse dishonesty, but it does help me understand why people do it and how humans have a foreseeable pattern. 

In contrast to the world of Gilead’s inhuman use of modesty in The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood, I realized that I don’t always recognize the beauty attached when I examine myself, possibly because of my lack of modesty. I have an extreme bias toward myself, and yes, Wilde’s ambivalent perspective may be correct, “the only beautiful things…., are the things that do not concern us.” Wilde’s viewpoint makes me wonder if humans merely need to achieve neutrality, rather than confidence, or dislike when perceiving ourselves in a healthy judgment. Humility has the chance to prevent lying and hiding—art and the existence that creates this yearning for modesty. At the same time, my existence yearns for the beauty that I hold candidly. However, I believe my existence will never be considered ordinary; no soul will ever be. I want to feel more than ordinary; don’t we all? Perhaps a balanced perspective reveals intricate beauty.

I once found comfort in masking myself and still do when I’m not too fond of the reflection of myself, but art is helping me to discover the sovereignty of humanity. Art is complicated, but the self-examination it provides will always remain clear to me. Individuals’ expression of their ideas on nature and art through people’s eyes will always provide warmth and closure. Although life creates art, it should not be mistaken for the other way around. Art helps me to clarify the world were all in. One day, I endeavor to find beauty in the things that do concern me, and I’m confident that art will eventually lead me there. No one has ever stated that existence is easy, nor there’s a right way to abide by it, and art supports that. Art is complicated, but so are humans and the lying and hiding we execute. My perception will forever continue to be changed by art.