An elaborate Renaissance Ball Mask. The masks were elaborate, but so was the ruse, an attempt to create mystery and tension, the possiblility of romance or illicit liasion. The masquerade was a feature of carnival season of 15th century Europe. In time masks became works of art. They were made of diferent materials, and bejeweled, like the one in the photo.
The masks we put on every day are not bejeweled, but they are clever, intricate, and very elaborate. If you want to read an early understanding the human mask, then Shakespeare is the one to read, and in particular, the ‘Taming of the Shrew.’ Psychologically, masks are a form of protection, we tend to mask anger, grief, anxiety, fear, a sense of failure, feeling like a fraud, needing to be the hero, the great intellect, and so on.
I have worked with people who use humour to mask what they perceive in themselves as a lack of sophistication. Others have thrown around biting sarcasm in order to keep others at bay. Some it is fear of success, so they play the incompetent. I have had the experience of never really knowing someone, at a funeral once I heard so much about someone I thought I knew, only to discover they had protected so much of their lives from public scrutiny, a compartmentalising. On another ocassion, when I was going through a difficult time, some said “I thought you had it all together” (like, really!!).
If we’re angry we may resort to condemnation, if we are grieving we might project happiness or amusement, anything but what we’re really feeling. That might be important at certain points in our lives, a boundary. But when it becomes avoidance, deception, fear, then we risk burying our true selves and others may never really know us. Even to the point that well entrenched masks become who we are. The question is, what are we trying to hide and why?
Jung developed the idea of the persona, the person we wanted others to know as ourselves, but not our true self.
I love this unattributed quote: “She threw away all of her masks, and put on her soul.”
That says it all. To dispense with the lie, the deception, which is really self-deception at best, the fear, and embrace our true selves, the raw self, the truly beautiful self. Created, bejeweled physical masks can be creations of great beauty. But the one who lives their true self, nothing could be more beautiful. We often use the phrase “warts and all”, meaning even our less good parts can be seen, our less succesful, less socially acceptable selves can be seen, yet this is healthy. The first step on the road of recovery is to know that we are never going to be perfect. And once we let go the ego, then masks become redundant because there is nothing to protect.
To put on our soul is to let go and find the juice of our lives and let that flow.
When we put on our soul, we are truly beautiful.
Hiding in layers the weapons of deception my real is naked ©Paul Cannon
Paul,
pvcann.com
parallax 
I enjoyed reading this post, and will remember the quote about taking off all the masks and putting on the soul.
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Just love that line, something to work on. In another context – taking of all the religion and putting on the soul/spiritual.
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Really super post, Paul!!! So many seed of inspiration and insights! Bravo!!
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Very kind words, really appreciated, thank you.
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I can totally relate to the fact that people mask their feelings either to deceive other person or to use as a shield against them.Brilliantly written post, Paul.
I have written on the same lines in my post”Masks” but I know you have already read it.
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Yes, I have returned to a theme we both know well, appreciate your very kind response Megha.
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My pleasure Paul.
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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🙂
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Absolutely love this post!
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Thanks for the encouragement.
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I love this! There is so much value in being true to you. Sometimes I am saddened by the culture that has grown up with social media and the look at “me” mentality. The masks you talk about are too present, and while this is the future generations, I can only hope we can still model being true to your you. Great post to ponder. Thanks Paul.
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I really appreciate your thoughts, and so agree, too much “me” out there.
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thanks Paul have copied some of this and another of your posts about masks that I am forwarding to a lovely young lady with cancer secondaries. Know you wont mind if it helps. She is an intelligent high achiever who hasn’t quite connected with herself yet … authenticity is deep genuine and healing 🙂
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Don’t mind at all Kate, I trust your judgement, and if it helps in any way, then even better. And yes authenticity is healing.
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thanks for that 🙂
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🙂
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Once some one beautifully said, “we’ve thousand faces.” They are quick. In fact, became expert with lives-after-lives. We all have it. We’re human. Please don’t get me wrong?
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Yes indeed
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Very well done. A post with real substance, thank you.
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Many thanks Robert, much appreciated.
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