A persona is the image you present to the world. It comes from a Latin word which originally referred to a theatrical mask. đźŽ
We all wear many masks. It’s natural. After all, social graces and defense mechanisms implore us to show up differently for our grandma than our boss or lover. 👵
But there is a danger in over-identifying with the mask. A persona is NOT the authentic self. Instead, the mask is donned in favor of the audience versus the performer. If you believe you ARE the persona, then you disavow the needs and reality of the authentic self, your TRUE SELF. Jungian Analyst Marion Woodman says of people who believe they are simply the image they outwardly present that, “they build a body beautiful that gestures and performs, cut off from instinctual and imaginative roots... Until the abandoned soul is allowed to return from exile, there is no possibility of physical or spiritual peace.” It’s a bitter thing, to become a shell in service of something one dimensional. 🦪
Social Media is a fascinating case study in the art of the persona. We can all agree that it permits varying degrees of persona creation and implementation. If it’s dangerous for an individual to over-identify with a persona, what are the implications for the Other who “buys into” the act? Are we conscious of the complexity of all those we perceive and realize what we witness is the mere tip of an iceberg? It’s why I struggle with labels and cancel culture. You are NOT a filtered photo or a curated sound byte or that clever thing you did on your best day ever. No less are you that dumb thing you did on your worst day ever. You are so much more than that. You are whole. 🔗