The boy behind the cereal box

The boy behind the cereal box
Did you ever wonder why kids love to line up cereal boxes and hide behind them? They’ll sometimes play peekaboo and sometimes parents will encourage this by starting a peekaboo. Sometimes they’ll be reading the box or claiming they find the box utterly absorbing. Sometimes they’re hiding from their siblings, who they may have a love hate relationship with. They love their sib but at the same time they can’t stand them. They have a right to their own thoughts and privacy, right?
Kids grow up. How much of our behavior is dedicated to hiding behind a barrier? We choose to do one thing over another. We go to parties and sometimes wish it would end so that we can go back to normal. Or we’re shy or uncomfortable at parties and try our best to contribute.
What of the heroes or heroines in our stories? We’re all a mix of social and anti-social to put it simply. These ying-yang behaviors can be used to give your characters more depth. Another way of measuring the difference between protagonist and antagonist is in how far or close they are to putting up barriers.