Someone’s identity is fairly complex, a lot of things contribute to how someone develops who they are. Many people put walls up around them to carefully protect their most vulnerable traits; whereas, those traits make up who someone is. People only allow others to see what they want to be seen. In the poem Richard Cory, he portrays that he is a happy person, instead of letting them know that he was in fact terribly unhappy. What people perceive is usually what they believe, and this is based on what they hear, see and think. People only allow others to see what they want them to see, by hiding their vulnerability.
The poem Richard Cory is a great example of how perception is reality. Richard Cory only allowed people to see the good things. They acknowledged he was rich, intelligent, kind, and attractive. The people…show more content… Leon F. Seltzer titled Why We Hide Emotional Pain, he evaluates why people tend to hide that pain and some of the reasons behind different types of emotional pain. Perhaps people hide their emotional fragility from others in fear that others will see them as weak, and in return that person will feel powerless. Women and men have different views on showing emotional pain. For men showing emotions is considered weak and be called names such as; sissies or wus. This starts at a young age, if children are not taught to express their emotions as they grow older they will be more likely to hide what they are truly feeling. With women, as children they are normally taught to express themselves and how they feel. As they grow up they become more open with expressing themselves, if they are taught how to at a young age. When some women get married if their husband is used to hiding his feelings he may be harsh towards how she gets upset. Women who experience this in a relationship, may learn to start hiding their feelings and sensitivities. All together people hide their emotional pain, so they do not feel