With the Venice Carnival just finished and the Italian general elections
to take place, one can be forgiven in thinking about masks and the masks we
wear.
Carl Jung (1928) wrote about the personas or masks we adopt and present
to the world as a way to make a definite impression on others and to conceal
other parts of ourselves. He argued that these are social creations we develop,
(we believe) in order to be accepted by others.
The masks of Venice were a creative way to break free from one of the most rigid class hierarchies in
European history. Wearing them brought the prospect of equal footing. No one could be
identified, assessed and judged so people felt more free to express what they
normally wouldn’t.
We wear our masks, selecting behaviours according to the desired
impression we want to create when interacting with others. They can shield us
from harm and liberate us, provide assurance against vulnerability and help
us project an external image which we believe is more alluring, acceptable, appropriate
for the setting we are in.
Yet they can also imprison us, making us feel more
isolated from others..and ourselves. Relying on them or attaching ourselves to
their power, can backfire... because inevitably they prevent us from connecting
at a deeper level, having real and meaningful conversations and relationships,
and preventing our essence to shine and for true transformation to take place.
We can start by becoming aware of the choices we make about - why and how we are wearing our masks. And
bit by bit with courage to disclose what we are truly thinking and feeling,
to reveal our concerns, fears, dreams, needs ...and the openness to seek and
hear feedback we can gently rid ourselves of them, and expose our real selves.
From what I understand in Venice theatre, “gli innamorati” (lovers/those
in love) were the ones that never wore masks...true love as it is being naked,
bare, vulnerable, open...
Sources:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung
- http://www.1001venetianmasks.com/history-of-venetian-masks-120Information.html
- http://www.venetianmasksshop.com/history.htm
- Image: own photo
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