You are incorrect if you think you are the same person all the time. If you do not acknowledge that you have at least one other persona, you will not understand how to blend these images.
How many personas do you have? Do you have one for work, one for your family, yet another for friends, and then another for the parents of your kids?
This persona, this mask that you wear can be beneficial or not. If you have a work persona that is different from your home mask, what is it and how does it help you with your peers and your boss, if you have one? Or do you have a separate persona you wear when you are in direct contact with your boss?
This may sound frivolous, however, we all have different personas. And yes, it can be confusing to others if they catch on. It can also be confusing to you, the one who holds the power over these masks.
Who are you and who are you pretending to be?
It must be exhausting to carry all these personas with you day after day. What if you could be only YOU every day?
This act of masking is what many do to feel safe in different situations, mostly social.
We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.
— Kurt Vonnegut
We’ve all seen it, the pretenders. They certainly run rampant on Facebook. You see people wearing these masks and then you speak to them, if you are lucky, and discover they are illusions of themselves. They are not real, they are following others’ paths, allowing us to think or imagine that they’re very, very successful or equally as powerful. The truth then appears at a break in their persona. A word, a gesture, appears and you go ‘Whoa! What was that?’ – not what you expected. And I do say the word expected because people who attempt to force their personas or masks onto you for their benefit, know that this is the persona you expect to see. And they gave exactly that to you.
Bosses and leaders carry many personas. If only they could afford to be more authentic, we would appreciate their skills more so we say. However, in many cases, we EXPECT them to have many masks and personas. It is expected in the society we have created. And when the supposed truth about who they truly come out is, we are shocked, and surprised, and yet, we are part of the game in supporting their personas.
Any of us can be kind, strong, sad, and cranky without a persona. We can be genuine humans and stop wearing personas or masks to enjoy our lives.
The fewer masks we wear, the closer we are to having more peace in our lives.
Wouldn’t you like to live a life of truth and openness?
Along your path toward truth and peace, check this out.
Fascinating!!
Living means having the courage to be yourself, without excuses.
It means admitting your mistakes without blaming yourself.
Living means showing yourself as you really are, without masks or tricks. People need to know who we really are and be happy about it (as we should be).
If we show ourselves for who we are, we will increase our chances of achieving happiness. Sometimes being real, being “authentic”, doesn’t always have positive consequences, but if we have to pay a price for being ourselves, then let’s pay it. Let’s leave aside disguises, masks and make-up… as time goes by we realize that they don’t give any value to our life.
Hi Aldo Delli Paoli…I have paid the price for being myself on several occasions!! Yet, in the end, it is worth it..because I owe no one anything except myself. Masks be gone! Thanks!
Great article. I think we all put on our mask throught out the days with dif people I know I do and I an one person around strangers abs dif with people I know and love
Hello Eva Marie Cagley- if only the masks could be smaller to hide a little bit. This is not what happens tho. When we take on that mask, we ARE different. Wouldn’t it be great if we did not have to do that?! Thank you for your input.
I think I am grateful that you published this article Dennis Pitocco!!