In Jungian psychology, the mask or social face that a person presents to the world, often different from their true inner self. It represents the roles and images we adopt to meet social expectations and navigate different situations.
From Latin 'persona' meaning 'mask,' originally referring to the masks worn by actors in ancient Roman theater. Carl Jung adopted this term in the early 20th century to describe the psychological masks people wear in social situations, distinguishing between one's public face and private self.
The persona is like having a wardrobe of different selves - the professional you at work, the caring you with family, the fun you with friends - and while these masks help us navigate social complexity, problems arise when we forget there's a real person underneath all these costumes. Jung warned that over-identifying with our personas can lead to a sense of emptiness and disconnection from our authentic selves.
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