#pretence

[blackswaneuroparedux]

nemo enim potest personam diu ferre, ficta cito in naturam suam recidunt.

Seneca

No one can wear a mask for very long; affectation soon returns to true nature.

#seneca #roman #latin #classical #mask #human nature #affectation #character #pretence #marion cotillard #the dark knight rises #movie #cinema #batman

[mzannthropy]

Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.

Oscar Wilde

#quote #oscar wilde #jumping on the bandwagon #pretence #lack of originality #myfragment

[fiction-quotes]

We all knew, of course. Everyone knows, but no one looks. We don't look because if we look it makes us evil because we aren't doing something about it, or it makes us sad because we can't do anything about it, or it proves that we're monsters when we always thought we were righteous because we won't do anything about it. Either way, safer not to look.

  —  84K (Claire North)

#book quotes #dystopian fiction #claire north #catherine webb #84k #psychology #oppression #pretence #cowardice #silence #philosophy #ethics #morals

[sarsaratihawa]

Life lately feels like we don't talk anymore mv

#Spotify #aesthetic #pretence

[xenesthesya]

PRETENDER I am pointing my finger at youuuu! P.S you're not actually a good, if its only to get what you want.

#lies #pretence #fake #youre a jerk #1 step forward 3 steps back #not good #bad people #old poster #luchador #strangled #mexican art #olivia rodrigo

[itsbello]

Loving Someone, Who Hates You, But Pretends To Love You

#love #hate #pretence

[umusicrecords]

#hot dance electro #hde #hot dance #hot electro #dance #electro house #complextro #bass house #music #music mix #dance & edm #electronic #Cat Dealers #PRETENCE #Dirtyphonics #Benix #Milos Loren #Gelow #ZĒL #Alvin Mo #Martin Garrix #Seth Hills #JON T #Youtube

[mishalogic]

The very thing AI "imagery" lacks is Soul

AI is just and imaginary world of pretence!

coming from someone's mind,

that is rather pointless! ... Misha

#AI #Imaginary #pretence #world #mind #nature #australia #tumblr #tumblrites

[dashmore-springs]

The Gangsters They Are

perhaps faithful living will be better for people when the pope and queen stop pretending their companies don't behave like the gangsters they are.

#gangsters #pope #queen #pretence #commerce #ethical practice

[tonispencerart]

When Art Goes 'Wrong' - part one

I'm sure we've all done it at some point. We get tempted, especially in the age of social media and constant sharing of content, of only talking about and sharing the 'good' stuff or the art we're proud of. It's not 'cool' or whatever to show off the mess and the mistakes... But, with reference to one of my previous posts (the four portraits on wooden slices), it took a LOT to get there. It was definitely a very steep learning curve! Before I settled on the idea of Theatre - and the overall concept of Human Life as Theatre - I was caught between the Burlesque idea and Shakespeare, in part (OK, a lot, but for the 'wrong' reasons) the series 'Will'. If you're actually curious, it is on Amazon Prime (for a price, I should warn you...) but I would strongly recommend approaching with caution. Be prepared to swear a lot. I know it wasn't intended to be accurate but they didn't even try... Anyway... That very thing actually gave me an idea I could sort of run with. It struck me that the creative decisions made were as interesting as they were irritating. Human Life is as much a theatre performance as, well, a theatre performance. The series tells a story of Theatre from the viewpoint of theatre - and not just from a performance perspective, but behind the scenes and the people involved directly and indirectly. I kind of get what they were trying to do, but it just didn't hit the right spots for me. But, I got there in a really weird way. Towards the end of the previous year, the first part of Stranger Things season 4 came out. I was actually in an online meeting that day and I was willing the tutor to stop talking! I watched the whole thing in one sitting and literally didn't move from the sofa the entire time! But it also sparked an idea that I was reminded of months later. I made some notes about the character of Henry Creel/Vecna, specifically, but the idea applied to a few characters, really. The idea was originally about Masks, Pretence, and Trickery. And really, if you think about it, theatre is based on a similar concept. Theatre isn't supposed to be real, though, in my opinion, it should be realistic. But it's a space for storytelling and playing roles. The idea was to paint 'Henry Creel' on one side and the other side was supposed to have a tiny portrait of Vecna (or rather, the point where Henry would begin to lose any remaining humanity). And, in Shakespeare's day, the theatre was a space where you could question and criticise those in power and get away with it! I'll explain more about the Why next time. It is my hope to use it as a way to explain some of my processes when I'm working with ideas and concepts. But, before I got there, I was playing with something else. And it went so very wrong... It was a mess and I was mad as heck at it. The photos below are only part of the process...

The first attempt was using liquid acrylic. In all honesty, I should have guessed before I started, but I didn't. And it went wrong within seconds of starting. The paint sank into the wood instantly. Huge error on my part! So then I tried 'regular' acrylic paint and I made even more mess when I tried to blend it. I said many many bad words! I didn't document the first try with acrylic paint because I was furious with it.

So then when I got home, I studied all of the things on YouTube trying to work out where I went wrong. Turns out, I needed PVA glue and Gesso and Sandpaper. Let me tell you - it blew my mind and changed my life! Cue several days of prepping wooden slices! It took a while to get it how I wanted but it was so worth it. The next hurdle was image transfer. I initially wanted my background to be black so I tried several ways of putting an image onto a black surface. The pencil was an instant fail. The chalk transfer also failed but I quite liked the effect, even though it was utterly useless. I then spent a small fortune on proper transfer sheets. The yellow was the most successful. I quite liked this, too. And I thought I'd cracked it. But when I tried it on the wooden slices (minus the black paint because I changed my mind about how to paint it) it didn't take on the wood. Cue even more sweary words!

#art #fine art #traditional art #theatre #painting #acrylic paint #art disasters #when art goes wrong #stranger things #henry creel #vecna #jamie campbell bower #jamie bower #acting #pretence #trickery

[corneliusbella]

False humility and pride can deceive us, hindering our spiritual growth and impacting our relationships with God and others. By studying the fall of Lucifer due to pride and the tragic consequences faced by Ananias and Sapphira for their lying, we are reminded of the importance of genuine humility and honesty in our lives. Let us strive to cultivate true humility, free from pretense and self-centeredness, while committing ourselves to a life of honesty and integrity. As we align our hearts with God’s truth, we will experience His grace, walk in His light, and enjoy the blessings that come from living a life of humility and truthfulness.

#pretence #lies and the lying liars who tell them #pride #false humility

[imspardagus]

Smile, though your heart is breaking

“Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it's breaking”*

I enjoyed one of the great pleasures of my life two weeks ago on Sunday. I sat opposite my son and his partner in a quiet local pub that served good beer, and participated in two hours of easy, life-affirming conversation.

It might seem to be overstating it a bit but I live for these times. They allow me to feel that maybe my life isn’t such a miserable waste of time as my depressed mind so often insists it is.

When they had left, I was returning our glasses to the bar and Jan, who works behind the bar, said how nice it was to see me smiling. And before I could stop myself (a measure of how my normal protective inhibitions had been lowered by what I had just enjoyed) I remarked that I didn’t know that I had been smiling.

It was an off the cuff remark, one of the remarks that are true but should go unsaid. As to its truth, I genuinely have no idea most of the time what expression I am offering the world. People taking my photograph have been known to look up in exasperation and said “Come on, give us a smile.” And I think “I was smiling wasn’t I?” Apparently I was not.

A fake smile is not uncommon though. It is what we are taught to present, what is expected of us. “Say cheese.” I have lost count of how many photos I have seen of people, especially children, especially young girls, whose rictus “sunny” smiles have all the false sincerity of a politician’s apology. “Sing out, Louise. Smile, dear.” “There’ll be no sad faces on Christmas.” “Are we all Happy, Happy, Happy?”

As I have mentioned before, my Mother’s take on my need to tell someone how deeply sad and joyless I felt as a teenager was “Nobody wants to know”. My Father, though he rarely smiled or laughed, went to his grave believing that the purpose (and duty) of the arts was to offer “escapism” – entertainment that made you feel happier for a while. They, of course, came from a generation that had borne more misery than most: economic depression, war, insecurity, deprivation, threat to life, loss of loved ones. They were unfrivolous, studiously serious in so many things, even about being happy. Even about pretending to be happy.

“When there are clouds in the sky, you'll get by

If you smile through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll see the sun come shining through for you”

Maybe tomorrow. Maybe the day after tomorrow. Maybe never. But at least you won’t be bringing us down.

Occasionally I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror or reflected in a window and I am shocked at the dead, miserableness of the lines on my face. How can anyone want to be in my company? But people do. And they insist that I am “such a lovely man”, which makes me wonder whether they are trying to convince themselves or me.

“Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear may be ever so near”

Jan smiles. Not just with her mouth but with her eyes. She does it the moment you approach. And perhaps that is why I allowed myself to be deceived. I had allowed myself to believe that she was genuinely happy.

Which is why, returning to the point after this long tedious diversion, what happened next was so surprising. And why, perhaps, some things should go unsaid. Because my remark had barely died on my lips when Jan came out from behind the bar, wrapped her arms around me and buried her face in my chest. And when, what seemed like a long time after, she stepped back and looked up, her face was wet with tears which she was trying to hold back.

In the awkward moment that followed, she said, “I’ll tell you about it sometime.”

I am usually good at recognising hurt and pain in others. As someone who has lived so long by presenting to people what they want to see, to the point that, as I say, I no longer know that I am doing it, I have developed a form of radar for fellow sufferers. Sometimes the signals coming back are so powerful that I cannot look them in the face. Sometimes the shadow is so deep that I have to leave the place where they are. Thinking back, I did suspect, on a couple of occasions when I caught Jan’s face at rest, that she too was wearing the mask, the one we depressives get used to wearing in order to be accepted in company. But probably because I had found it so expedient on this occasion to take her literally at face value and draw on the warmth that she was radiating, I had let the thought pass.

It is easy to take that path. Not everyone wants to be told that you have seen past the mask. After all, disguise is why they have gone to the trouble of wearing it.

Within minutes, Jan was embarrassed and trying to reclaim her equilibrium. Reverting to her natural kindness, she insisted that if ever I needed to talk about anything, she’d be there. I made a stumbling reply that the same went for her. We both knew this wasn’t the time or the place.

Two days later, I met with Lee, Jan’s partner. He’s a nice lad. But he seemed keen to probe me as to my intentions towards her. I said, truthfully, that I thought they were both really lovely people but that I had been unprepared for her to be reduced to tears by a chance remark. “Yes,” he said, somewhat matter-of-factly, “She does cry rather easily.” I made a mental note of his remark and passed on, mumbling some inanities about “not wanting to hurt her” and not being a predator.

Yes, Jan is lovely but truly I have no designs on her. Quite the opposite. Having got things seriously out of proportion a few months earlier, causing damage and discomfort that I had not in my wildest dreams foreseen, let alone intended, I was determined never again to let my neediness trap me into reading anything as self-fulfilling as mutual feelings into another encounter. Rob, my very discreet friend, tried to suggest to me I could at least allow myself the pleasure of fantasy: “fantasies don’t do any harm”. But I’m afraid I know that to be wrong. As I told him, “Fantasies are like farts. Their immediate effect may be to bring relief but their stench lingers on and makes everyone in the room uncomfortable.” Perhaps that is going too far but anyway it doesn’t apply in Jan’s case. I like her very much, I care about her, but my feelings end there.

But the thought of her keeping so much unhappiness locked up inside her is unbearable. And sometimes, when you “cry easily” it is a sign that you are more sad than you wish to accept. Depression is toxic, it eats you up even as you think you have it under control. It taints every chance you have of pleasure. I hope she can find a friend to talk to. I would be happy if that friend was me.

“That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying?

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just smile.”

That’s a nice thought. But I do not think it’s the right thought. And I have spent 60 years trying it.

IMS July 2023

*Lyrics by Turner and Parsons

#Hurt #depression #smile #pretence

[fiction-quotes]

We never talk. We just pretend to think about talking, and we mention from time to time that one of these days, we really should sit down and talk. It'll never happen.

  —  Wintergirls (Laurie Halse Anderson)

#book quotes #psychological fiction #ya fiction #laurie halse anderson #wintergirls #communication #talking #conversation #family #parents #loneliness #intentions #pretence

[qdplkxn07kn9i]

Fucking Latina from the back Horny pinay rubs her wet pussy Tattooed lesbians strapon fun For Alexis Kitty Lee Giant Sniffer Mientras jovenes ni pueden conseguir mujeres lindas, mire a este tipo mayor Otro se coje a mi mujer mientras le sale toda la leche Gorgeous teen railed by old man Novinha fodendo o cuzinho com consolo Mc Mirella rebolando de short transparente

#pretence #Sarmatian #stoves #unrecuring #ban's #Halawi #oblongated #plurifacial #phenomenalist #half-backed #acmesthesia #metakinetic #kimporchay #lomentariaceous #lentisc #tritheistical #self-vaunted #overdemocracy #loob #omni

[emersonmanandnature]

December 9, 2022

external reality is non-existence, a behavioral instinct is all that guides us to seek physical pleasure, whether animal or human we seek to kill others for we are predators without a conscience

we walk through these systematic patterns guiding us to oblivion as wealth feasts on our hopes and murder is just a sequence of thoughts bullied by the power of greed, violence buffers our ability to believe that we are present in our own reality or are we in someone else's vision of aggressive actions toward innocence, to quell the hopes of their freedom

what we see is an illusion, a false pretense to become powerful by exploiting the people for their hard earned lives

world wide we feel the illusive blessed beings with longing in their eyes, an intuitive force to praise, loving others and be thankful for our communion of trust

we must fight the addiction of lust and use our inner revelations as a means of escape that force us to see the platform the wealthy use us for, as their play toys to exploit for profit and our lowered wages, a formula of selfish evil that barley keeps us afloat while the rich praise the almighty force of their power, for the superior knowledge of what they invented through the centuries to take from the peasants and never give to these human beings any hope of freedom

#pretence #greed #false pretence #cjcorwinoriginal

[celestialsea-motheroracles]

To come to who you are, to play your unique note within the sound of existence, you will have to sacrifice your pretence of who you are not

For a time you may be rendered a mush, deconstructed by inner burnings of what is not true about you; but from this ground state; you will rise anew; to shine as the pure note in existence that you are 🦋

#presence #consciousnesses #inanna #witch #mother #concentration #authenticity #metamorphosis #transformation #pretence #truth