As for this song, I'd argue its meaning is not specifically regarding paranoia, but low self esteem in general. After all, the less confidence that an individual has, the more (social) paranoia they seem to experience ... the two often go hand in hand.
These social fears and insecurities, as my interpretation of the song conveys, are something which nearly all of us possess ... yet, we instinctively hide them. We hide our real "faces," (feelings, emotions, personalities, etc), under our skin. These faces, or as Freud would say, the human unconscious, are the entities which overtake us when we go to sleep and feel strong emotions, including embarrassment and anger.
These "faces," or human unconscious, for people with low self esteem, has the power to rip them apart ... to make them question everything they do, especially in social situations. This, I believe is where the paranoia references come into play.
Everyone has a hidden face ... what we actually see in each other are simply masks, fragments of one's true self. This song seems to discuss the raw power behind these faces, of the human unconscious' control over an individual's confidence level. Indeed, these faces can help us fulfill our dreams, or, as is the case for the person in this song, make our life a nightmare.
Hybrid Theory is an amazing CD.
As for this song, I'd argue its meaning is not specifically regarding paranoia, but low self esteem in general. After all, the less confidence that an individual has, the more (social) paranoia they seem to experience ... the two often go hand in hand.
These social fears and insecurities, as my interpretation of the song conveys, are something which nearly all of us possess ... yet, we instinctively hide them. We hide our real "faces," (feelings, emotions, personalities, etc), under our skin. These faces, or as Freud would say, the human unconscious, are the entities which overtake us when we go to sleep and feel strong emotions, including embarrassment and anger.
These "faces," or human unconscious, for people with low self esteem, has the power to rip them apart ... to make them question everything they do, especially in social situations. This, I believe is where the paranoia references come into play.
Everyone has a hidden face ... what we actually see in each other are simply masks, fragments of one's true self. This song seems to discuss the raw power behind these faces, of the human unconscious' control over an individual's confidence level. Indeed, these faces can help us fulfill our dreams, or, as is the case for the person in this song, make our life a nightmare.