In my first post we discussed the importance of why the identity should be separated from the actions of the individual. I would like to take some time to understand the dangers of living a persona rather than our lives.
What do I mean by, “live the persona”? Think of it this way: William Shakespeare famously said, “all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” When we create a character that we present to the world, this character has his own way of thinking that is separate from our own. When the world looks at us, we hope it is the character that they see, not us. Why? Simple: Because of the fear that our shortcomings and failures will be exploited; we are ashamed of who we are and where we fall short.
I might hope that the world sees me as a handsome, strong, unbeaten, and unconquerable individual. Perhaps I don't want to have my weaknesses and inadequacies laid bare for the world to see. What would happen if they saw my back pain? What would happen if they knew I could only see so well? What would happen if they saw me in a deep depressive episode? Or limping due to a hurt foot? Or that I don't have the money to fix my car? Well . . . nothing.
My fear would be that they would reject me, or ridicule and humiliate me, or take advantage of me – which has happened more than the rejection. But what if I laid all that bare? Nothing. They are more likely not to care. Some because they are of the mindset that we all have been there, some because they have their own problems, and some because they feel superior to me already. So why not let it all hang out? Because I feel inferior.
Not because someone else is superior, but because I feel inferior. So what do I do? I change my walk, I change my tone, I change the words that I use, I carry my body in a different manner – I put on a mask. I think I am protecting myself from danger, but the truth of what that mask does is far more sinister than any external threat. My next post will explore that.
