“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.” By Bertrand Russell
People tend to wear the mask that shows them off in the best possible light – humble, confident, diligent. They say the right things, smile, and seem interested in our ideas. They learn to conceal their insecurities and envy. If we take this appearance for reality, we never really know their true feelings, and on occasion we are blindsided by their sudden resistance, hostility, and manipulative actions. Fortunatly, the mask has cracks in it. People continually leak out their true feelings and unconscious in the nonverbal cues they cannot completely control – facial expressions, vocal inflections, tension in the body, and nervous gestures. The word personality comes from the Latin persona, which means “mask”. In the public we all wear masks, and this has a positive function. If we displayed exactly who we are and spoke our minds truthfully, we would offend almost everyone and reveal qualities that are best concealed. Having a persona, playing a role well, actually protects us from people looking too closely at us, with all of the insecurities that would churn up. In fact, the better you play your role, the more power you will accrue, and with power you will have the freedom to express more of your peculiarities. If we take this far enough, the persona we present will match many of our unique characteristics, but always heightened for effect.
