The Persona
Have you ever wondered how many versions of yourself you present to the world? Persona derives from the Latin word mask. It refers to the mask actors used to wear in plays. In waking reality, a person today wears many masks for society with or without knowing it. According to Carl Jung, the persona is used to make an impression upon others and conceal an individual's true nature. A person has several personas for numerous occasions. A person may wear one or more at any given moment. Most of us are unaware when we are playing a role. You may present a professional mask of the confident leader at work. You may own a rugged mask for your girlfriend. You might have a comedic persona around your friends. Our identity shifts with each mask we present.
Personas begin taking shape around the time our egos do. As children, our personality starts to develop. We learn to speak, act, and orient ourselves to the world. Children seek safety and a sense of belonging from their loved ones. They mirror their parents and use them as blueprints for adapting to their internal and external environments. Many influences include family life, cultural expectations, relationships with peers, teachers, caregivers, etc. As we age, civilization pressures us to conform to social norms early on. We must do as others do to be a valuable piece of our functioning society. People tell us what to do, how to behave, how to dress, and who to be. We learn the proper way to act in public settings and what is appropriate and what is not.
A persona only becomes an issue when a person identifies with it. If a server in a restaurant understands he is only a waiter while working, he does not identify as a server when he goes home. Losing ourselves to a false identity while playing a role is possible. Some people who work as servers feel like servants and take crap from their bosses, and they mistakenly believe that their job defines them. A person who identifies with their role at work is in danger of being disconnected from the authentic self.
On the other hand, someone may have a persona that makes 6 figures and drives a Ferrari. This person may be validated and able to afford expensive items, and his job may give him status. It is favorable to maintain his image in the world. But underneath the surface, this person under the mask struggles with insecurity, is constantly comparing himself to others, and has to achieve more and more to feel worthy. Jung said that the danger of becoming one's persona is that it will inhibit personality development, and people will be overly concerned about what people think of them. If one holds onto a persona, one misses the messages from the unconscious wanting a new orientation. The real self needs expression sooner or later. If we keep the mask on for too long, we forget there is a person under there. The mask takes the place of the individual underneath.
Personas must form because society forces people to be one thing or the other, never two things at once; we must squeeze ourselves into a box and stay there to perform our civil duty, never wavering from who we play. The purpose of this rigidness is so that the show can go on. You must play your role and perform well to be a valuable member of society. You must work and accomplish things for yourself or some other person or system. Most of us think we are hustling for ourselves but fail to realize we are working for a false identity, seeking validation and approval. Our values are lost in the persona. We don't want to upset the status quo or challenge our attitudes, so we play along.
Society, as a whole, is set on accomplishing goals that will make you the most money so you can own the most stuff that will bring you optimal happiness. What we sacrifice in the process of this plastic reality is the soul. "A man cannot get rid of himself in favour of an artificial personality without punishment. Even the attempt to do so brings on, in all ordinary cases, unconscious reactions in the form of bad moods, affects, phobias, compulsive ideas, backslidings, vices, etc" (CW 7, p. 305-9).
To disintegrate the persona, one must confront situations challenging their fixed identity, questioning and exploring our unconscious deeply to break free from the habitual nature of our persona. According to Jungian Psychology, there are three ways to deal with the disintegration of a persona. One would be a negative restoration. The individual acts as if he were before he developed the persona. The next is Absence, where one lives without a persona and retreats from the world altogether. Finally, restoration is the healthiest of the three, where one develops a new persona agreeable to the soul and is consciously aware of it. This persona does not conceal one's true self but actually enhances it.
As Shakespeare said, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." We are all playing the game of life, but choosing a favorable game that aligns with our true nature is best. We may not have much freedom in the exact game we are playing, but we can choose our character. We must participate if we wish to go on living. The best thing we can do is become aware of the unconscious attitudes of our existing personas and create new ones that align with our true selves to be part of the world in a way that harmonizes our inner world with our outer.