By Nowsheen Mushtaq

We live in an age of filters that go far beyond photos. They have entered our personalities, relationships, and values. People have mastered the art of curating themselves, of appearing gentle, wise, and thoughtful, while keeping their true intentions tucked away behind smiles and sugar-coated words.

What began as a harmless trend on social media has slowly turned into a survival skill in society. We filter our emotions, opinions, and even morals, afraid that honesty might make us look unpleasant.

The saddest irony is that the world now punishes truth and rewards pretension.

A person who speaks their mind with honesty is often branded rude, arrogant, or disgraceful. Their bluntness is seen as a flaw because it does not come wrapped in flattery. But the one who hides their real thoughts behind sweet words is celebrated as polite and mature.

Society bows to the well-filtered while turning away from the genuine. It has become safer to pretend than to be authentic. A lie spoken softly wins more hearts than a truth spoken firmly.

People admire virtue when it comes in a pleasant tone, not when it comes with honesty. We have started valuing presentation over principle. The one who smiles and agrees, even when wrong, is called kind. The one who corrects with sincerity, even when right, is called harsh.

This strange moral confusion has turned the world upside down. We have learned to act virtuous instead of being virtuous.

We now live with two selves. There is the public self that is polished, calm, and careful with words. And then there is the private self that carries fatigue, frustration, and unspoken truths.

The more we filter, the further we drift from our real reflection.

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