Part 151: Lesson 6: Personas and Sociability

-Specialist-




"Everyone Loves Jungian Psychology!" An invitation to the you that you don't know. This will be our sixth lecture; we're at the halfway point. Today's title is "Personas and Sociability."


I want to introduce another of these archetypes to you in this lesson. Last time we discussed the Shadow; this time is the "Persona." The title kind of gave that away, didn't it? Eeeheehee...Now, let's begin the lesson. Abracadabra...Alakazam...


Of course, in this day and age, I doubt there are many people who actually use a mask in their day-to-day lives. They're mostly seen as works of art, used as interior decor...Oh, and parts of costumes, of course. That's about it. In order to understand the Persona archetype, we first need to grasp the idea of how masks were first used. Masks were commonly used in plays, festivals and religious ceremonies...They were all used to "play roles." The Persona archetype's name comes from this "role-playing" aspect. Jung found an archetype that "played roles" and named it the Persona. Masks were always used as costumes. I guess that one use has remained throughout the ages.


What exactly is this ability to play a role that the mind has had since birth? Let's think about it. An actor wearing a mask plays his role in order for the play to progress. So, in the case of a non-actor, someone "playing a role" will progress...And here comes a question. Alright, I ask thee. What exactly progresses when a person plays a role in everyday life?
Society.
"Society," huh. That's something of an all-encompassing answer, don't you think? But, it's also correct. Not bad. When a person plays a role in life, "society" moves forward. Society exists because people don't do what they please. Instead, they split roles among themselves. In other words, they are people enacting roles, on the world stage. We play the parts of ourselves to make up society. This "ability to play a role in society" is the Persona archetype.


I spoke before about how human minds are linked through the collective unconscious...The Persona is a prime example of this. Every individual has the Persona, which functions when interacting with others in society, since birth. So you see, the Persona is an archetype that's based on the premise that the human mind is collective. I might be getting technical, but due to this property, the Persona is often known as the "social archetype."


On the other hand, this presents a problem to people...especially you young ones. We're able to smoothly engage in society by using the "power" of our Personas to "become someone else"...But that also means that society doesn't necessarily need YOU, so long as there is someone to fill the role you play. The Persona, then, is the denial of the will to "live as your true self." It teaches you how to become "someone else" that isn't you, so that you can survive in society. The Persona acts as a mediator between your inner self and the outside world. When young people first enter society, many of them ask themselves, "What does it mean to be me?" Here is where the Ego and the Persona act in opposition to each other.
What should I do?
What should you do? Hmmm, that is quite a difficult question. This clash between the two "yous" happens within your psyche, and shapes your life in a sense. Let me give you an example so that you might understand this a little better.


For example, a policeman or teacher. That's easy enough to imagine, right? That person, using the mediator known as his Persona, started living a reasonable life, making compromises with society. "I'm a teacher, so I should live like this." "That man's a police officer, so he's this type of person." If we know a person's role, it makes interacting with him go more smoothly. In this way, your Persona helps support your social life by making it easier for others to relate to you.


Donning the mask of the Persona also means the suppression of one's own ego. If the mask does not fit you, your mind will weaken, and it can have detrimental effects on your health. Wearing a mask that doesn't fit becomes a burden on you. Also, spending too much time in your role can cause you to lose sight of your true self. For example, as our subject dons the mask of a teacher, he begins to act as one outside of school, and even at home. This becomes an instance of a person who has been taken over by his Persona. So, while the Persona is useful in life...there's the danger of it weakening your mind, or overtaking it altogether.


Having multiple Personas and using them masterfully leads to a rich life. You should all begin seeking out new Personas to take on, and live your lives with many choices...Now, then, it looks like our time is up. I guess I should remove my mask as a lecturer, as well. Eeeheehee...And that's it for today.