Masks Are Personalities

The idea of wearing a mask is usually explained as a person hiding themselves. They cover a part of themselves so that it does not show through. While it's not entirely inaccurate, I see masks differently. 

A mask is a personality. Putting it on is assuming a new identity. You become a different person for as long as you wear the mask. 

In this sense, a mask does not hide yourself so much as it allows you to be somebody else. 

This is just as true for literal masks as it is for metaphorical masks. They hold personalities which we assume as long as we wear the mask. It's usually a mental trick, but it feels more real and believable to have the ideal or physical mask as a conduit to become these different people. 

The interesting thing about these assumed identities is that they can be treated like genuine personalities, even though they are a fiction. More on that in the future.