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The word "Person" comes from "Persona" (latin) and "Persona" meaning mask, a mask that we have to wear sometimes in society. Sometimes we have to be political, we have to use this persona.
The question is: Who are you? Who is your persona? Who do you think you are and what you are forced to do to behave so you can survive in the society.
Love
Paulo
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I wear a mask of half human and half girasas (higher kingdom). I so want people to love both distinctly. I do not want to be blended so that they only see one half. I want the higher kingdom to be the favorite for (s)he is the good half, but I want people to find resonance with the human half because I can’t just let you see the good all the time. I need things to do too. I need love to, even though I am a lesser being. Occupy us both.
dear mr.paulo coelho
v.nice question
for me i show my personality like it is because i hate to wear a mask to cover what i am because in the end they gonna know what is under that mask that you are wearing to cover that shame and lake in confidence even if you dont like a side of your personality try to change not to hide it and show smthn else.
thanx mr,coelho
I am a woman, I am daughter, I am a mother
I wore a mask for many years as I was to scared I wouldn’t be loved without it
There are the right kind of masks and the wrong kind of masks
I was wearing the wrong kind but did not know and nearly lost myself
Now I know and am learning to wear the right kind at the right times
It was scary at first when I took it of and it made a lot of people angry with me, not because I was doing something bad but because it made them realize they were wearing the bad kind too and they did not want to know it. I am happy I took mine off, now I can learn and grow, can love and share, look people in their eyes and find out who I really am
who am i? very difficult to define myself!!!!! well to be in society i have to be goody goody, so yes i do change or blend with them (if needed)….who am i??? is still unanswered!!! or unknown!!! coz m so many kind!!!
Who am I?
I often tell people–while in the midst of my ranting and raving about how life can take many cheap shots at you–that I will always, regardless of what occurs in my life, be me…nothing more…nothing less…than Bobby Ozuna…
I have said: If you strip me naked and burn my home, my clothes, and all my possessions, taking away every penny and my opportunities to work and later tossed me in the square for all the world to see: I would still remain me…
But you pose a more important question: Who are we? Who am I? What makes us who we are or what we think we are? Do I wear a mask? Yes, of course, we all do to some extent but how often we wear it determines how much of ourselves we are allowed to be. Where we are determines how much of ourselves we can truly become in the faces (or masks) of others…
I am a father to my children who think I hung the moon. I am a husband to a woman who can’t control my love. I am an athlete who doesn’t settle for second best and a student who years to know more about the ways of the world and worlds before mine. I am a man of faith, seeking approval and favor from God and I am a sinner who refuses to let go of the vices that make me smile. I am a son to a father I adore, a mother who loves me unconditionally. I am a brother to anyone who accepts my love and a friend to many, even my enemies. I am love and I am hate. I am passion and I am contentment. I am a writer who tells the stories to confess my sins…a poet after your heart…a lover after the taste of your body….a singer when you are down and an artist who offers color to those around me.
I am…
~Bobby Ozuna
Drawing Stories…With Words
person i am born as. persona is the way i have grown. transparency in the person and persona is the growth. saint is the one who has persona and person same. evolution is the process of becoming person from persona.
In fact i don’t need a mask ,i can look in the eyes of
another person without fear and shame
Interessante….Todos temos várias faces, quando a Alma é uma só.
Esse assunto é bem vasto, porque somos um em um espírito com diversas tarefas.
O sol é um bom conselheiro.
Bjs.
Mari Raphael.
Rasta sufi- Awesome.
So much said, so simply, now going back to seek more.
Thank you for sharing.
No mask.
This is what is.
Even discomfort in my skin, if the situation requires it- is what it is.
Very interesting question, it really is!
Here is my opinion on this!
I think that a man has to do only things that are meaningfull to him, and by this I mean his deepest wishes and aims, that derive from his soul, that reflect him as a person. But this is very often misunderstood, and what is even worse, their acts in life are such too. What I mean is that, people usually enjoy their difference and instead of really having fun in their lives, they are pushing this differnce out, just to show off, to say> `Hey, I`m different than the most, look at me!` That`s not the way, really!!
I think that, when we reach the point of self/awareness, or when we find out many differences that we have and that are not in accordance with society flow, we shouldn`t think of ourselves as strangers, and we shouldn`t also be afraid to live these differences! We should only care that things that we do are really our PERSON, and just do them, never care what someone might think of that! Let`s not waste words, just dress differently or wear amulets, let`s live that! We don`t need to give any explanations to anyone, because that`s our life! Let us be PERSONS that we are, let`s prove in acts! That`s the only way we shall not become depersonalized PERSONAS, or PERSONA NON GRATA to YUOR HEART!
We don`t need to separate from anyone just because of these differences, there is always a level of communication you can keep with anyone, to share your love, or to inspire someone to live his own Personal Legend!
Once I read, that explanation is like asking for forgiveness! And I agree!
Therefore, WHY WOULD YOU ASK ANYONE TO FORGIVE YOU FOR TRYING TO LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE????
Thank you, Paulo, for such an inspirative question!
i don’t no, i always feel that i m a little girl looking outside the window. wants to feel the world but my room don’t have the door. my persona to people is that i m confident, talented,beautiful and dominating. I was a stupid little girl but your books changed so much in me. i started reading your books five years back. i feel complete change in me. to people i may be same but i know how much you helped
me to grow. seriously thanks a lot. you helped me to grow.
Dear Paul from Austria, I had to look at my ….dictionary to find out what ..percussionist is!! Do you mean the TAM-TAM of the jungle or the Christmas ..triangle??[joking] I prefer the Cloud Dweller!!{I have made a spelling mistake above, for cloud]. Your words ‘there goes, there goes.. reminded me of that song.It is the first time I have heard it by Elvis, I only knew Engelbert Humperdink’s [this spelling and names are killing me] version. I am still expecting your e-mail, with your…C.V. !!With or without a Mask!!!
LOVE,
Thelma
im not gonna to say alot like others.my person is clear to me but it change the mask to let me comprehensiv to others
Mask is an “Organon” (from the greek word instrument).
As everything in this world you can be a victim of the mask or you can use it.
Not always this choice depend completely on you, but you can try to be independent as much it’s possible.
Mask can be useful for reaching your goals.
In this case I think is a manifestation of the Messanger (see the book The road to Santiago),that is of the forces of the world that hepl you in this world.
But it can also become a danger for you if you let it stik to your face forever.
In this case you’ll become slave to the mask and start to die a little bit every day.
If you refuse it when it’s required, you’ll give up your dreams too, ’cause it will impossible to reach your goals (the world is stronger than you)
so use this instrument, but don’t be slave of it.
love chris
yes luce
love is uniting us, will unite us ! ever wonedred on this inherent human tendencu to seek union.
hi pia,
i read alomost all posts here with interest, agree with sentiments expressed by paul, so much to learn !
your post somehow made me reach out, no one is saying wearing masks is bad, in fcat to live in a society one wil have to wear masks, and many depending upon the situations, but the less no of masks one can live with the better, and more important when one is wearing a mask, any mask, whether it be of a master or of servant, of mother or son, one must wear the masks consiously, the moment the consiousness that one is wearing amask goes, ego may overpower, and ….. rest of the story we call world ! as paulo said god loves stories, the Chap is a child at heart i tell u.
love
aditya
I’ve known who I was from a very young age but knew the frustration of trying to explain…finally accepting that the way people understood who I was came through masks, labels and a language that fell short of true description. So, I guess that when masks (which are created by the self) fall away, and the labels (which are created by others to tell them where and with which group I either do or don’t fit into) are erased, and language dissolves with the breath from which it was manifested, I’m left with the reality of who I am.
For want of a better way to put it, I bow to the very wise sage, Popeye-the-Sailorman, who said, and I quote: “I am what I am.”
This is kind of funny,I remember “The strange case of doctor Jekyl and mister Hyde”.If one is acting too much,in the end the instincts turns against him.Only if we have very great sins we need to hide our true nature.
I feel very tired if I cant be myself.I could not live long time playing a role.And now thinking,I find out that is important in one relationship that I can be myself,as in family,or through friends.
like a person i am free to do whatever i want but my persona keeps holding me back,and put my wings on chains,that’s what today society do – put u chains…so nobody can be what they were meant to be,what they wanna be,what they choose to be,so no one cannot survive without a fake mask.i asked u a question- what do u think why dual personality happens?cuz i think this mask we have to use,creates the second character inside of us,which is fake as much as its real!
While I don’t know (yet) who I am, I do know that I am not my persona. And whoever I think I am, I am not.
One thing I know, I have a lot of masks that I kinda wear automatically, depending on the external situation. But I don’t care about the masks/persona as much as I don’t care about people’s judgement on the persona. It’s the masks they are judging ~ nothing personal.
Caríssimo Paulo,
Verdadeiramente necessitamos ser “personas” em nosso dia-a-dia para que possamos viver melhor uns com os outros. Vestimos personagens que nos são, até de certa forma, “úteis” para o convívio social. Devo confessar-te que me admirou a pergunta pois detenho uma caracteristica muito peculiar de conseguir me afinar bem demais com as diversas “personas” que encontro. Tal como um camaleão, consigo conversar com o Magnífico Senhor Reitor, da mesma forma que converso com o Sebastião ali da esquina, entrando no “universo” peculiar de cada um. Acredito que as máscaras que usamos, mais do que necessárias, são fundamentais para o bom convívio social.
Assim, temos que mantê-las em detrimento do bem viver…
Rasta Sufi, your poetry is simply magnificent!
Dear Love,
I’m hoping to reach you here as I’m late with my reply and the other thread is in the archive by now. Just wanted to give you my support and encouragement in getting where you want to be in your life. The employers are people too, so there are bound to be a few who can understand your situation. What kind of a job are you looking for? Maybe it will be easier to start off with something smaller, just to gain work experience and then apply for something bigger later, if you so feel like. That way you will have your references too. I don’t know where you’re from, but in many countries there are ’back to work’ or ’back to education’ programs for people who have not been in the working life for a reason or another. Maybe that would suit you? It’s never too late, just remember that. ☺
All the best,
Love
Liisa
Wearing masks mean to hide yourself and why do human beings want to hide themselves? Maybe because they are afraid that other people won’t accept them with their mistakes, maybe they want to be like others just to escape from being judged as being “different” from the majority and rejected by the society or maybe they don’t like themselves the way they think they are and want to present a better “picture”, for others to perceive them how they would like to become in reality…
Masks represent a game of illusions. Sometimes they seem necessary on short term, especially when others don’t understand you but wearing them all the time is dangerous because you end up by not knowing who you are anymore.
In general I like to be and act the way I feel inside, even if many times the sincere attitude made me lose in life in different situations and dealing with certain people. Unfortunately, truth often hurts, but still, I prefer the “uncomfortable” truth than “pleasant” lies.
Now, more than ever, I know and feel with all my heart that I am discovering my real Self, the Spirit, Eternal Love, Light and Joy! Being yourself is so liberating, it takes away many artificial burdens we carry inside. When being my Self, the Spirit, I feel that the Kundalini energy dances inside and this is all that I have wished for, more than anything material and worldly, I want to be free, to be in complete union with the divine energy, love, light and for the whole world to become like that.
I believe that people are really free when they become perfect and for that we have to work, more than for anything else in the world. If we truly want to thank God, to give something back for all the blessings we have already received, we should become Perfection. I am convinced that it’s possible and then we will not need any masks as we will love ourselves and others unconditionally!
But how can you know and appreciate yourself if you haven’t experimented first the covering of your real Self by wearing all sorts of masks? You appreciate and realize the value of a thing when you have a term of comparison. When you become the Truth, Reality, all artificiality disappears. When Light comes, all darkness, all ignorance is dissipated because Truth is what it is, it cannot be transformed and it cannot be conceptualized, Truth can only be felt and lived! :-)
Lots of love and appreciation,
Carmen Larisa
Dear Paulo,
this is my first time I m writing to you. In the last 10 years I m switching from one persona to the other just to please the people around me. And today I really don t know who am I??? I bearly recognize myself in the mirror, and I am also afraid to look at me, because I dont know what will I see.
I wanna to tell that this is the wrong way to live, nobody should hide behind masks. We are born free of masks and it would be beautiful to feel the same pureness and freedom like a child can. Adults tend to forget this feeling and create a life where there is important to be loved and accepted, but is rare that this is the real YOU!
Sometime I wish to live in a isolated place, far from civilization, alone and finally free to be who I am!!!
Sometimes I wonder who am I
The world seeming to pass me by
A younger man now getting old
I have to wonder what the rest of life will hold
I hold a mirror to my face
There are some lines that I could trace
To memories of loving you
A passion that breaks reason in two
I – I – I have to think and – I have to think and stop me now
If reminices make you frown
One thinks of what one hoped to be
And then faces reality
I wonder who started all this
Was God in love and gave a kiss
To someone who later betrayed
And God less love sent us away?
Sometimes I wonder who am I
Who made the trees – who made the sky
Who made the storms – who made heartbreak?
I wonder how much life I can take
I see at last a future self
Were you alive I’d ask your help
But thinking puts me in a daze
And thinking never helped me anyway
You always were so negative
You never saw the positive
You always stand upon the edge
And dream of what it must be to be dead
I know I like to dream a lot
And think of other worlds that are not
I hate that I need air to breathe
I’d like to leave this body – and be free
You’d like to float like a mystic child
You’d like to kiss an angel on the brow
You’d love to solve the mistery of live
By cutting someone’s throat or removing their heart
You’d like to see it beat
You’d like to hold your eyes
And though you know I’m dead
You’d like to hold my thighs
If it’s wrong to think on this
To hold the dead past – to hold the dead past in your fist
Why were we – why were we given memories?
Let’s lose our minds
Be set free!
Sometimes I wonder who am I
The world seeming to pass me by
A younger man now getting old
I have to wonder what the rest of life will hold
I wonder
I wonder who started all this – ooh
Was God in love and gave a kiss
To someone who later betrayed
And God less love sent us away
To someone who later betrayed
God less love sent us away
To someone who later betrayed
God less love sent us away…
bo0om paulo,->
every where there is this vibration,
every conscious action coming direct from the subconscious,,
what am i we wonder,,,so many illusions
then we discover a zero state of mind…
telepathy everywhere, we can feel others emotions..
we are everything that we truly are.
love
fLUXman
Who am I? I am now and here. I’m a little bit of you, a little bit of the wind…
I can be whoever or whatever I need to be.
Life is an exciting journey, persona is just a way to manifest my unstable creation. Am I doing something wrong pretending somebody I am not?
Maybe thanks to that I can find out who I am or who I’m not.
Regards
Anna
Dear Paulo,
I’d like to get in touch with Andrea McCain. She’s waiting for me…
Could you help me, please. My name is Anna, I was born on 26.08.78, I’m from Poland.
All the best .
Anna
Hi Paulo
Interesting question. I did think a lot about your very own persona after the dinner in Aviles that I was kindly invited to. You were not what I thought you would be and it struck me: how can the observer (the writer) continue to be the observer when in fact, all eyes are on him? I felt more like the observer myself! But there wasn’t enough to observe – you were clearly wearing a mask. And of course, the others around the table all had personas of their own. Watching people’s reactions to the guest that was not originally supposed to be there was also revealing. The mask drops for a moment and then it goes back up again once an assessment has been made – do I talk to this person or that, or not?
Back to the question the theory of persona, it is something that has always bothered me – why are some people able to proceed through life apparently without the need for a mask? ‘What you see is what you get’ types. I have never been that type of person and it is a source of much frustration although flying beneath the radar is also useful sometimes, and laying all your cards on the table from the outset is not always wise.
I am conscious that persona somehow helps us to survive in different situations. People who are emotionally intelligent and aware of where the boundaries between themselves and others lie seem more efficient at crossing the line between person and persona when they need to.
Then there seem to be national personas. Italians, for example, appear a lot more extroverted than English, but closer inspection reveals that this is not really the case. However, it is true that to ‘survive’ in Italian society one must project a more extroverted image – people warm to you more easily and this gains you respect. The same approach in England doesn’t really work, you could get branded as a ‘loose cannon’ although the right amount of wit can carry you a long way (try measuring what level, though!).
Does your persona change depending on the situation or the group of people you find yourself with? And how long before a particular set of people get to the bottom of your ‘true’ personality. And indeed, what is your true personality anyway?
“I’ve already wandered by the four corners of the world looking for Him
It was exactly in a dream that He talked to me
Sometimes you ask me
Why I am so quiet
I don’t talk almost anything about love
Neither I keep smiling at your side
I think of me all the time
You eat me, you spit me, you leave me
Maybe you don’t understand
But today I’m going to show you…
I am the light of the stars
I am the color of the moonlight
I am the things of life
I am the fear of falling in love
I am the fear of the weak
The strenght of imagination
The bluff of the player
I am, I was, I’m going…
I am your sacrifice
The wrong way sign
The blood at the sight of the vampire
And the curse vows
I am the candle that gives light
I am the light that dies out
I am the edge of the abyss
I am everything and nothing
Why do you ask me questions?
Questions won’t show you
That I’m made of earth
Fire, water and air
You have Me everyday
But you don’t know if it’s good or bad
But know that I am in you
But you are not in me…
From the roofing tiles, I am the roof
The fish of the fisherman
The letter “A” has my name
From dreams, I am love
I am the housewife
At the pick-and-pays of the world
I am the hand of the hangman
I am plain, broad, deep
I am the fly at the soap
And the tooth of the shark
I am the eyes of the blindman
And the blindness of sight
I…
But I am bitter taste on the toungue
The mother, the father and the grandfather
The son that’s yet to come
The beginning, the end and the middle
The beginning, the end and the middle
I am the beginning, the end and the middle
I am the beginning, the end and the middle…”
well, quite simply, I feel that I’m someone that will make an impact and change the world.
I’m sure that’s not only my, but it should be everyone’s persona simply due to the fact that we as human beings and as life forms have an effect in the world, even though we may not notice or feel it.
However, in a societal perspective, I feel that the motivation of achieving something in life is something that defines you yourself as well as your persona ultimately. It is what spurs us on in life.
Cheers!
Bella domanda Paulo….sarebbe bello anche avere una risposta!
I will not say this is the bad question neither will I say this is good question. Now can you tell me, what is the question ?
The above statement holds true for the question being asked. It is about person or persona, it is about you. It is about me or us. It is about understanding who you are, what you do and why are you here ?
Who can answer this except you and you alone. The “you” does not refer to some body else but to oneself. It is our duty to understand us. The persona and person can have many meanings from many previous linguistic policing but I do not know what that has to do with the question being asked.
If some body asks me the question here is what I have to say them, “I am nobody”. I tell them I am nobody because I really do not know who am I or who I am. When I do not know who I am how can I tell who am I ?
When we know something then it is always easier to talk about the same in general public but once you do not know who you are what would be your answer ?
Your answer should be-”I am nobody”. Why? Because,Right from the consciousness we assume we are some body and we want to become somebody. We may like some famous writer, we may like to the famous Football star, we may even want to be rock artist but all these identity is not of you or you alone but of some body else.
When we try to take the identity of others and establish ourselves in the footmarks of those who had done in their related field. It is difficult process, what we are doing is not doing of what we think or we imagine or we envision but we are doing of what somebody else has already done long long ago.
A person can be divided like this- per+son=son of one. I do not know what is the meaning of “son of one”. Does it mean that we are the son of one ? But what does that one has to do with son.
Is it somewhere telling us that we are the son of the one and only one which is existing in our earth and that one is “Nature”.
Now let me ask the Father Nature that who am I ? When I ask father Nature who am I? He does not speak but shows me that, you are nobody. This is again my assumption that I am nobody. I have assumed that I am nobody because Father Nature does not tell me anything.
When there is nothing coming in return from the Nature what should I assume it to be ? Am I a Engineer, or am I am Doctor? These are the profession that we learn and we adopt to that profession because these profession gives us livelihood.
Profession has nothing to do with personality or person. A person is single and it is the matter of question itself that how much it desires the answer.
I can write an entire book on these questions but how many readers would read my book. It does not make any difference in the humans mind simply because we are used to reading the same stuff time and again.
And most importantly, we like to see the changes and that is good thing because the Nature of nature itself is change. A person changes and shouts these questions in different environment and finds that the answer still remains the same.
Well, I have to stop here for the moment because I might end up writing a book, Will it be possible Paulo for you to review it?
My person is a Dancer, a Gymnast, a Yogi, a Contortionist. I am comfortable communicating with my body. My facial expressions. Telepathy.
My persona is a person who struggles to use words to communicate with others. I often am verbally lazy and am accused of being aloof or expecting people to read my mind.
My person wants to dance in the streets when you ask me how I feel or contort body into a pretzel. But I am forced to use words.
Who am I??? That’s the question. The longer we live the more this question passes through our mind. Life is fair and more often unfair, life is full of little surprises, sometimes shocking, sometimes rewarding and unexpected. Maybe that’s the beauty of it. Indeed we are persons, we are human beings born and raised to become aware of certain things in life. Sometimes we are compelled to wear our masks and this persona jumps into its act and behaves in certain ways and manners expected by others and valued by some. However, deep down am I convinced, am I whom I am entitled to, am I me and myself??? am I satisfied and convinced?! our society has a great impact on persons, we have a look onto this world and notify how things are going. Most countries are grateful for what they have and others are struggling to survive in their community where leaders wear masks to stay alive and people strive to be able to forget and carry on. I think I am born for a reason which I haven’t actually found, seeking to day by day, trying to figure out how things work and what life is asking me to be and become. My persona is the outside recommendation of the world, people are sometimes judgemental, lack conscience and ability to face themselves and the real world. But we have to move on no matter what and believe in the beauty of this world and our own self, even our own created person and our own lives.
Love
Christel
Dear Paulo,
we wear masks because as Shakespeare would say:
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts”.
Firstable thanks a lot for let us to comment your questions and have toe opportunity to share the opinions.
The real person is always inside of us, even if the society like that everybody i always wearing a mask, the real meaning of the live is what you really are and not what you “looks like”.
Fortunatly with the pass of the time we are developing our own image and we are taking off ell the mask that we have being wearing for long time, and now the real meaning of everything, and the real end of everything is to be happy.
When we start looking inside of our soul, and when we are really happy of what we really are, so we can forget the masks that are like a prission for our own personality.
Thanks to the universe that all of us are changing our mentality now… and we are looking for the real freedom for all of us.
A big hug for everybody here!!!
Jesús
for a person to achieve the real meaning of hapiness the first thing to do is to be yourself at all the time…
how other people accept you if you yourself cant accept who you really are…..
wearing a mask shows how bitter a person…
Hello Paulo,
I am what I ‘ll choose to be. I can be a free being(a non-conformist)doing anything but everything or you can be an chapfallen caught in the web which mankind has been knitting ever since they’re senile enough to prevent me from being free. Give it a mind and you will feel the chaos which if “everybody is like me” can engender.
My persona is “being like you” for you all can embrace me and for am a social animal too and maybe among you all I got my soulmate to set her free.
You all made me study engineering when all I wanted to be was “Santiago”. You all made me to take up a job to earn some money when all I wanted to earn is my satisfaction of being born human. You all made me to search and fulfill your unfulfilled expectations and desires when all I wanted to search was my soulmate.
And now, I am gonna break free off your web, your expectations for my emancipation.
Hey Paulo! but it’s really dificult to take off my persona. They all have really made me a craven all throughout their attempts since my birth and that too i got to learn only now. Will you help me out?
Manmeet.
Very Interesting question Paulo < I guess yes sometimes to be politically correct we have to wear a mask or at least hold back our real thoughts on things ,I am pretty adaptable I can relate to all sorts of people in all sorts of situations -I am true in nature and spirit,fun lovable,kind ,compassionate – and a bit crazy ,but I guess in my heart I hold back lots of feelings as ,I am really out there spiritually and believe in lots of things ,I also have children and write ,plus do care work .I am pretty open about things but alot of people do not understand or relate to things which you have experienced or can see or hear or feel -Intense about your emotions . -I always think that children are good at seeing a person or – of people they can see someones light and pure heart ,love in them and they are attracted to that despite what you look or how you are ..But for me I am guess I have learnt that the best approval or validation about ones self comes from only deep with in you ,by loving yourself and then you attract loving people into your heart and BINGO , So who am I ..I am Love , a child of God and the eternal spirit ..Blessings Tania
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nDfsrA6zqhA
Dear Paul from Austria, some say there goes Paul the pilot, the pirate, the musician[???] you did not say anything..Yet!!
A nice song from ‘our’times.
LOVE to the could dweller,
Thelma
My mask will be the copy of my soul,every day i come
closer to my soul,and every day it becomes
more beautyfull,because i take my challanges ,many times with fear, because i took a certain way and there is no way back
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky271W94VHA
Music has expressed my feelings… again! The divine Pavarotti..
I am my persona, personality, of this MOMENT in the theater and stage of life, of the ETERNAl NOW.
LOVE,
THELMA
I used to be obsessed with being socially excepted by others arround me. I used to try to identify my value by how others measured it. What ever opinion or belief they had I would be kind and agree, although my intuition would try hard to slap me in the face! :-) so yes, I know very well this role of masking, acting, pretending.. going along with other people’s control, or just to keep a peaceful mood so no one in the room feels uncomfortable.
**So my Persona was quite a lifestyle for survival.
But, I realized that no one or thing has actual control over me. It was an illusion all this time. Society helps to build fear and therefore create more illusions of what ‘is’. It has been my own self that supressed my authenticity. And doing that for so long just hindered my self confidence. Leaving me always searching for the ‘me’ I neglected and abandoned.
Today however, my life is quite different from the inside. I do still wear my many masks according to how important or not important a situation is for me. But Because I have done much inner soul searching and found my missing pieces, I am not so affraid of rejection or confrontation. And the more masks I have metlted away, the more longterm and stable relationships I have built with people.
- I am 27. And for 25 years of my life I never allowed my self to taste the freedom of expression without boundaries.
Now, I’m tasting it, it’s liberating…………..
(Except for the dinner party example, of course we must have manners!)
A lot interesting Paulo,
I think that persona is part of person. It is a politics of scientific type for me, someone make to become this, social politics… the human being have a strong spirit of adaptation and the mask is an unsoppressible need for those who use own intelligence, someone uses it in order to catch up own objectives, bonds or bad, others use it to defend themselves, in order to survive to the unexpected situations.
I have been more to my comfort with a friend, preparing the paste in the middle of the campaign with dirty pots and forks makeshift that not to an organized supper from the high bourgeoisie to celebrate a successful show well. The simple things render me same me.
Then all it becomes digestible when it begins to get used to the mask… yes, because the society has constructed a series of laws and rules that if not respected do not leave you inside… the prejudgment is lethal… and slowly slowly, tasting a little of all you understand that yours it is only a reaction, with a subject person you are person, with a subject persona then you are persona!
I personally am same me but sometimes I have need not to be cut outside…
love
I’m very silent person…until I’m not; I’m a weak person…until I am STRONG; I’m kind person…until I become a MONSTER!…
I’m what I am at the moment. A mixture of what people use to call “positive” and “negative” emotions, intentions, characteristics,… Woman and man’s archetypes in one shell.
My mask is here to cover all that, my truth, the truth. And it is vanishing away because the truth has to come out on the light. I have to lie, cry, self pity, work to much, use drugs, smoke,… firstly to hide the truth from me. Then to hide it from others. So I “work” to accept the truth, the masks that keep me safe and are not as bad as I think they are (sometimes), to accept that all things and happenings and people as my teachers… I believe very hard that with the acceptance masks will fall down more and more…
Ivy
If we were all more comfortable without the masks, then those who are there to help, who see through you, could do what they are inherintly there to do, help you. But sometimes the masks are too set, and we can’t help. Anything we do, or try, is useless, and that is painfull. And even when you do see it yourself, the mask is a habit you can’t break, and we still try and we try and will continue to try until you break one way or another. We all have masks or personas for different people or occasions. Sometimes they help, sometimes, they really don’t.
Aditya,
I know that being alone is one thing and being lonely completely another.
I love my solitude and it is not “mask” !
I can hardly remember if I ever felt lonely in my life. Yess once when I my soulmate left me alone in foreign city !
Thank you for reminding me about this too.
Luce
To be honest, I didn’t know the meaning of the word ”Persona”. It is very interesting.
I think it is very similar to the carnival, when children and adults are wearing masks and get out on the streets.
When they get home from the carnival, masks are taken off.
The difference is that we wear our ”personas” almost every day, not once a year.
But I know that people work on new mask every year, trying to make a better mask and get people to admire them.
I guess the same situation is with our lives: we are changing masks trying to leave good impression.
It is sad true.
I try to bring me instead my ”persona” everywhere I go. It is not possible to do it every time, but I’m trying and I feel better that way :)
Paulo, thank You for your books.
Ivana
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