A mask becomes dangerous when you forget which face was underneath it.

Presenting a version of yourself has its uses, and it becomes costly when the presentation runs so long that you lose track of what is underneath. People end up genuinely uncertain about what they actually think or want, having spent years performing an answer.

Find one place where you do not perform, even if it is only in writing to yourself. Ask what you actually think about something, without an audience. That practice is how the face underneath stays available.