Matt Hogan's Blog Posts

Superficial happiness is a smiling mask that’s put over an unhappy face.

It can be quite convincing, too.

Not because people aren’t good at distinguishing masks versus faces—but because most people are wearing masks themselves.

And calling out your mask puts into question the mask they’re wearing.

…And most of us don’t want to talk about the face that’s hidden under our masks.

It’s precisely why we put masks on in the first place.

And so we carry on smiling and nodding at other people’s masks while we discreetly hide our upset and frown through our own. And that becomes a sort of accepted and forgotten about norm.

Every now and again though, we sit down with a person and they actually take their mask off.

Not to burden us. Not to complain. Not to shower sadness on our superficial happiness.

But, to share what’s real. To express something deeper than a portrayal of happiness. To give their vulnerabilities some space to breathe out from under the tight compression of plastic pressed up against their cheeks and forehead.

And what’s interesting is that the people who tend to wear their happiness masks less, and are able to share and express what’s real to them more, are often the ones who experience deeper joy as a result.

Because the byproduct of wearing a superficial mask of happiness—isn’t happiness.

Happiness is the byproduct of connecting more deeply to (and better understanding) ourselves.