In my own experience, being unabashed in what I think or how I feel has only ever been worthwhile. Trying to accomplish the limits of what is capable only allows one to better realize their own limits. I believe that our own preconceived ideas of failure hold us back from our potential. We imagine an exaggerated consequence for doing some small thing, for speaking up, for breaking the norm, as if the entire world hinged on our every action. Criterion is a film dealing with how restrictive these personal notions of failure and embarrassment can be. The man constantly being soaked with water represents the inaction that directly stems from the notions of embarrassment. Despite his wish to scream he is afraid of how other people will think of him, and expresses his anger internally. The people on the conveyor represent how readily we internalize appearances and personalities that we deem ‘normal’, directly tying into our want of acceptance and creating a lack originality. Once a change occurs in the mind of the characters - as represented through the introduction of colour - the characters suddenly find themselves able to accomplish what they were unable to before. The girl is able to fix the problems with the world, and the blindfolded man is able to stand up for himself. Not only does overcoming your fears allow change within the external world, it solves any inner conflicts between one’s feelings and their ability to act on them. The man who is constantly putting on shirts is struggling with this conflict, but as soon as he stops trying to act how he wants, and merely is how he wants to be, he finds himself able to remedy his inner conflict and express himself more fully.