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“I say what other people only think, and when all the rest of the world is in a conspiracy to accept the mask for the true face, mine is the rash hand that tears off the plump pasteboard, and shows the bare bones beneath.”
― Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White

“A charm invests a face
Imperfectly beheld,�
The lady dare not lift her veil
For fear it be dispelled.

But peers beyond her mesh,
And wishes, and denies,�
Lest interview annul a want
That image satisfies.”
― Emily Dickinson, The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson

“Seven times have I despised my soul: The sixth time when she despised the ugliness of a face, and knew not that it was one of her own masks.”
― Kahlil Gibran

“Let’s hope she’s like the others, who look only at the surface. Let’s hope she’d never think that a girl with black-velvet eyes and cut-glass cheekbones could be a witch.”
― Franny Billingsley, Chime

“Do you care about your image?' Even as the words were coming out of my mouth, I was mentally kicking myself. He'd been kidding around, and meanwhile I sounded like an afternoon special. But he didn't seem to mind.
'Sure. It's my armor.'
'Your what?' The WALK sign flashed, and he put a hand on my elbow as we crossed the street. And yes, even that faint pressure on that small spot made my entire arm tingle.
'My armor. You know. Self-protective camouflage. Everybody has an armor. Even you, I bet, even though I still haven't figured out what form yours takes.”
― Jennifer Sturman, And Then Everything Unraveled

“His face was neither handsome nor anything else. It just was.”
― Tarjei Vesaas, The Birds

“I hated meatloaf. It was like something that Satan pooped out after an eternity of constipation. So I told Mom because I was honest that way. I sat back, squared my shoulders, and met her eyes, all confident-like.

"Mom, meatloaf's like something that Satan pooped out after an eternity of constipation. It should be outlawed, frankly, and serving it for dinner is like child abuse and should carry with it some pretty stiff penalties.”
― Hayden Thorne, Curse of Arachnaman

“Was Briony the only person who could hear the venom dripping from the woman’s tongue? What good was beauty â€� a mature beauty, but beauty nonetheless â€� if it cloaked such a viperous soul?”
― Tad Williams, Shadowrise

“And the touch of her own mask, at first cool and clammy leather, but quickly like a second skin, and the play it gives her, herself a stage, her every breath a performance, and yet (herein lies the magic) also and entirely true. Every game, every lie flirting and cruel - and the house is full of them, games and lies - is real as knives, for the masquerade has come to define the night. The false face of everyday, that hides reality beneath flesh and skin, is itself hidden beneath the fantasy that, because it is a product and reflection of the mind, is an honest facade. Sadie has lived a wary, defensive life, always urged by that self-preserving instinct to stay small, hidden, safe. She did not know she had an imp inside her until she wore it on her face.

("One Of The Hungry Ones")”
― Holly Phillips, Best New Horror 17

“Michael Varus drew his sword. ''My father is Janus, the god of two faces. I am used to seeing through masks and deceptions.”
― Rick Riordan, The Blood of Olympus

“A mask can be expedient when it's a mask you know you're wearing and can take off at will, but masks which are worn habitually cannot be removed without tearing off some of your real face.”
― Glenn Haybittle, Scorched Earth

“Since his back was to her front Chloe had to practically plaster herself against his wide back in order to unbutton his crisp dress shirt, but somehow she didn’t mind. From his low, masculine groan that her action had elicited, she assumed Mark didn’t mind either. His spicy, dangerous scent filled her head as she spread the shirt to find a smooth, muscular chest leading down to powerfully sculpted abs. She wondered what line of work Mark was in. Whatever it was, he certainly kept himself in shape.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Mistress?� His smart-ass tone threw her, breaking her concentration on his muscled chest.
“I’ll ask the questions,� Chloe snapped, deciding abruptly that it was time to move on. She still felt a definite lack of control in this situation and it made her nervous, shattering the fragile self-confidence she’d managed to build. But she couldn’t stop searching him now or he’d be the winner of this little confrontation.
She let her hands slide lower, past the waistband of his pants to the bulging crotch. Oh my God, is he for real? She hadn’t been with very many men—okay, two. She’d only been with two other men. But Mark more than measured up to any other guy in her experience. In fact, she could barely believe what she was feeling was real. It was a damn good thing rule number two was “never have sex with the client�. She was pretty sure she wouldn’t have been able to handle what Mark was packing.
“Uh, Mistress, that’s all me, not a toy.â€� Mark’s deep voice still held a hint of amusement though it was sounding rather strained now. “And you might want to think of it less as a ‘toyâ€� than a loaded gun. One that’s going to go off if you’re not careful.”
― Evangeline Anderson, Masks

“We are all born with different masks (on) - the art is to make them look like ourselves.”
― Laura Chouette

“The mask of a devil is the face of an angel.”
― Tamerlan Kuzgov

“We spend our lives crafting masks to fit the roles we are expected to play, but in doing so, we lose sight of who we truly are.”
― Fumiko Enchi, Masks

“But you know how easy it is to be yourself when you wear a mask.' His voice was low as his gaze held mine. 'How anything you want becomes achievable when you can pretend that no one knows who you are.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, From Blood and Ash

“I'd tried so hard. Given my all to be the perfect Elsie he wanted and..." It almost hurts too much to say it.

"You gave him a perfect version of you, and he still didn't want you," Jack says prosaically. Almost detached. Like I'm a gravitational singularity that can be explained, cataloged, predicted. I'm momentarily stunned by how right he is. Then I'm surprised that I'm even surprised.

"And what you took away from it was that you had to try harder.”
― Ali Hazelwood, Love, Theoretically

“A car pulled up behind us ... some yutes stepped from it. They all wore masks and gloves; it was like a surgeons' convention. And in many ways it was; everyone had blood on their hands.”
― Moses McKenzie, An Olive Grove in Ends

“People always reveal who they really are. It may take the removal of 33 masks to get there, but they always show themselves. That's why I prefer hanging out with ducks.”
― Jarod Kintz, Powdered Saxophone Music

“Orwell, in his 1936 essay "Shooting an elephant", noted that an imperialist 'wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it'. The wife also wears a mask and her face grows to fit it, in all its variations.”
― Deborah Levy, The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography

“Stabler offers to take the children out for Halloween. he goes as Batman, buys a hard plastic mask. The children roll their eyes. Before they go out, his wife faces him. She reaches up and snatches the mask off his face. He seizes it back from her and slides it back on. She pulls it off again, so hard the band snaps and catches his face. "Ow," he says. "What are you doing that for?" She shoves the mask into his chest. "Doesn't feel very nice, does it?" she hisses through clenched teeth.”
― Carmen Maria Machado, Her Body and Other Parties: Stories

“We cannot see what our masks look like while we are wearing them.”
― Brian Herbert

“We had to put on masks and play pretend 24/7, thus making me feel as though I was on the stage long before I was on an actual stage. We were the living embodiment of the Shakespeare quote 'The world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players' and not in a good way.”
― Michael J. Mantsourani, Life is Staged: A Memoir on Finding Myself in High School Theater

“And so the mask becomes the man,â€� he sighed with a hint of philosophical melancholy. “I shall miss the face of Palpatine, I think; but for our purpose, the face of Sidious will serve. Yes, it will serve.”
― Matthew Woodring Stover, Revenge of the Sith[SW REVENGE OF THE SITH M/TV][Mass Market Paperback]

“Misread smiles become masks of betrayal, judging hearts never see laughter's echo.”
― Huzefa Nalkheda wala

“Observer: “In our being, where the tangible meets the intangible, there lies a duality as ancient as time itself - the ego and the essence. These twin forces, ever-present and perpetually intertwined, are the sun and moon of our inner universe, each holding sway over the landscape of our spirit in a dance as old as the stars.â€�

Sun: “I am the essence, the unwavering light within. A constant, unfiltered sun, burning at the core of our being. Untouched by the transient world, I am the eternal truth in your heart, the perpetual whisper of your authentic self.�

Moon: “And I, the ego, mirror the silver luminescence of experience. Shaped by the ebb and flow of life’s tides, I reflect the lessons, beliefs, and identities formed through your journey. In me, the tales of your identity are woven through societal norms and cultural echoes, ever-evolving and dynamic.�

Sun: “Unlike you, who waxes and wanes, I am a perpetual beacon. I am solid, the silent guide amidst the storms of life, illuminating the path to enlightenment. I am the light that shines beyond all darkness, the eternal truth within.�

Moon: “True, I may dance in shadows, casting illusions, but through my reflective glow, I bring lessons, growth, and an understanding of our place in the material world. My phases are a reminder of life’s impermanence and the transformative power of introspection and self-inquiry.�

Sun: “It is in recognizing our dual nature that the process of transformation begins. From the unexamined to the enlightened existence, I offer wisdom, authenticity, and a connection to the eternal. Understanding the self is the key to liberation.�

Moon: “Together, we form the yin and yang of existence. My reflective lessons and your radiant wisdom define the human experience. In understanding our dance, one finds the rhythm of their soul, a balance between action and introspection, between the material world and the spiritual journey.�

Sun: “The journey of self is thus a celestial voyage between us. Embracing both my luminescence and your reflection leads to harmony, living attuned to the eternal rhythm of light and shadow.”
― Kevin L. Michel, The 7 Laws of Quantum Power

“It appears that as we show up here on Earth, we promptly start wearing the masks that have been deeply ingrained within our social psyche. And while attacking the mask from the outside may grant us a fleeting glimpse of what lies beneath, the window of seeing beyond the mask is inevitably short-lived. In our natural response of wanting to feel safe, a mask or some type of personality or facade quickly emerges and assists us in interactions with ourselves and others.
But what happens if we didn’t need to attack the mask or facade in order to discover what lies beneath? What if we could simply claim and be with and be as that space and intelligence underneath? This simple shift in perspective releases the need to fight or battle with the masks we play with. It removes the power from them and ultimately honors the choices of how we wish to show up.
We can then perceive the mask as a part of the joy of this life. For how could we live this life without bodies, ideas, social constructs, and things? We are here actively engaged in a play. And within this play, a part of the joy of it all is us walking through it and deciding which masks we choose to wear.”
― Gwen Juvenal, "The Seed" Journal: A Space for Recording Your Soul Experiences and Expansive Journeys

“What do we know of the man
who passes us in the street?
Do we notice his multitudes
� the million masterpieces of his mind?
There aren’t enough years to really know someone.
He has already changed in the passing.
Come, it is getting late.
Let me share my infinite selves.”
― Kamand Kojouri

“You must take the risk. You must have faith. The mask you wear is your prison. You cannot be authentic wearing a mask.”
― Toby R. Beeny, Lilacs from the Dead Land: A Narrative of Nostalgia, Identity, and Dreams

“Your darkest moment rips off every mask. It makes you see the world for what it really is. And people, for who they truly are.”
― Michael Bassey Johnson, These Words Burn Like Fire