Ogres Are Like Onions: Explaining the Layers People Don't See

I have been struggling with writer's block lately... so what did I do? I took to the internet, obviously. I found an article with a list of ideas for writing when you have that annoying creative slowdown. All of the ideas were what I thought to be humorous and then I saw one about Shrek. Yeah, it was supposed to be funny, but then I thought I could actually get somewhere with this. Maybe I think too much into things, but I have come to see the importance of this scene in Shrek.

Shrek says ogres are like onions because they have layers and I agree. Yes, I am about to compare us humans to ogres. Not because we're big and green or even smelly, but because we have SO many layers. This might sound stupid, but hear me out.

There are sides to us or "layers" that we show to the world, we show only to our friends or family, or that we keep just to ourselves.

Our outer layer perhaps could be the persona we put out to the world. Our social media, our "perfect," always happy Instagram lives. It could also be our appearance, the look of our shell, our skin. We work tirelessly on this layer and it seems very important to most of us. We thrive on the idea of what people think of who we are. As humans, our own selves want to be liked and want to belong. I do not think this is a bad thing, unless we let it start to control our lives and we become people who are not our true selves, our best selves. This can be a sad layer because we feel afraid to be who we truly are for the fear of rejection.

Our middle layer, the side where we get to be our quirky and unique identities without much fear. This is the side of us our friends see and possibly our families. I think this layer can be a very safe and a happy place for all of us. Getting to feel like "ourselves" and being accepted is a great sensation. Yeah, we all get roasted in our group chats sometimes (or maybe I'm just that friend), but we know our friends and family still love us unconditionally. We are not hiding behind a phone screen in this layer.

The core. The layer where we our completely, unapologetically ourselves. The side almost no one else gets to see. The core holds our values, our beliefs, our hopes, our fears, our aspirations and our dreams. This layer might be our most deep and hidden one, but I think it is undoubtedly the most important one. It is the layer that makes you, YOU.

The key to this piece of writing is to let people pull back your layers and find your true self. I know it sounds hard or maybe even a little weird, but our cores are our most beautiful parts. You will come to find that the outer layer is the least important (no matter how hard we try on it) and the inner layers matter the most. After all, looks do not always stay, but our thoughts really do. This is where we will find happiness and comfort. The core of us as people is where we are the most interesting and ourselves.

Do not only open yourself up to others, but also be open to others' layers and ultimately their core. It will help you to find more relationships with others.

I sure hope this will help you to find your happily ever after, just like Shrek and Fiona.