In the article “In Defense of Masks” by Kenneth Gergen, he claims that instead of developing “a coherent sense of identity”, people put on different “masks” that he constantly changes. Gergen believes that an individual’s development of a coherent sense of identity can make him “experience severe emotional distress”. People tend to act a certain way so they can receive the approval of others. The approval of others can bring satisfaction and enhance the self-esteem of a person but to succeed in this he must adopt different public identities. Moreover, in some cases individuals consciously wear various masks because of the situation they’re found in.
The approval of social groups is one of the factors why individuals have a variety of masks
…show more content…
For instance, a doctor will act serious and professionally with his patients but at home he may be a loving, carefree, and comical husband. Some individuals are or feel obligated to act a certain way because of the setting he’s in. An example is my sister, who is a nurse, has different personalities when she’s working at the hospital and when she’s with my family and I. At home, she’s able to be whoever she wants because she’s aware that no one from her workplace will witness her true self. My sister has a bad and short temper and only people like my family are able to see this side of her. My sister says that if the patients or her boss were to view her other side then it would be an issue. Therefore, she’s only polite and friendly when she’s around her patients and her boss. In this case my sister feels obligated to act differently when she’s at work because she knows that if she was to behave the way she was at home she may lose her job. She argues that she’s not the only person in this world that does this and she’s correct. Teachers and any school faculty are other individuals that wear different masks because of their duties. Teachers in school are taught to talk to their students in only a strictly professionally manner. For example, one of my teachers from high school was very serious who spoke in a mono tone voice all the time but when a group of students found her on …show more content…
In class, I’m quiet and calm but when I’m with my friends, I’m more talkative and the reason is because I feel like during class it should be a place to learn and not to interrupt other’s learning or the teacher’s lecture. My behavior always depends on the place or time I’m located in. Like when I attend church I feel like I should be more respectful and cautious than any other place because it’s such a sacred place to me. Another way I have behaved differently was when I use to work at my old job. I have a small significant amount of patience so at my job I had to be careful and not display any sign of irritation or impatience because my boss did not tolerate any attitude that can affect
A person’s identity develops from birth and is shaped by many components, including values and attitudes given at home. We all have a different perspective about who we want to be and what fits better with our personality. However, is our identity only shaped by personal choices or does culture play an important role here? It is a fact that the human being is always looking for an inclusion in society. For instance, there is a clear emphasis in both, “Masks”, by Lucy Grealy, and “Stranger in the Village”, by James Baldwin that identity can be shaped by culture. Grealy does a great job writing about the main issue that has made her life so difficult: her appearance. Cancer has placed her in a position where people,
On the other hand, ideally one should be true to one’s heart, if Disney’s Mulan is to be believed. But these are neither solid pieces of advice nor wise counsel; they are at best hand-wavy, wishy-washy statements that offer no guidance on traveling the minefield that is remaining true to oneself. In fact, given the wide swath of human experiences, it is difficult to imagine a panacea effective for each and every trial and tribulation people may encounter in maintaining the integrity of their identities; personally, I don't think one exists. Just as there are myriad events, emotions, and memories from which one’s identity develops, it surely follows that there are just as many ways social norms act to compromise one’s individuality, ostensibly for the worse. Therefore, it seems that an indirect solution would best serve individuals filled and bombarded with doubt about who they really are; namely, the unwavering support of a community would allow individuals to resolve, on their own terms, their inner conflicts stemming from outward
In general, my sister and I are both loud goofballs who make jokes out of everything and find the simplest things to entertain us when we are with each other. When we are together, we are both able to have a deeper sense of our “coherent identity” and do not have to wear a mask for each other because we are not trying to seek approval from each other. However, even though we know who we are, we still have to wear a mask when we leave our house because we do not want others to know who we really are. For example, when we are around our parent’s friends, we always have to put on a smile and talk very soft and polite, even though we are having a bad day and in general are loud people because we cannot make our parents look bad or give off the impression that my sister and I were not raised correctly by our parents. Another example would be the different masks that I have when I’m in class and when I’m not in class. While in class, I am quite and do not participate in talking because growing up I was told by my elders that it was always better to listen to what others had to say in order to gain knowledge and insight instead of talking and that I should only speak up when I was confused.On the other hand, when I am outside of the classroom, I become this whole different person and start to talk more. I feel that I have gotten use to being quiet in the classroom and conformed to putting on my mask everyday that it is hard for me to not wear the mask in class because if I do not wear it, I feel that I am loosing a part of who I am. All in all, this shows how when we are not seeking approval, we are able to take off our masks and our “self-presentations [becomes] much different in character” (Gergen
...le knowing their identity, so that they do not have to face the judgments of others. "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person! Give him a mask and he'll tell you the truth!" (Velvet Goldmine).
While identity may be under our complete control, the violence of abstraction strips agency from those who willfully deny their identity because it does not acknowledge that the person making the conscious decision may recognize a larger goal that justifies their sacrifice.
Identity is primarily described primarily as what makes a person who they are. While it is seen as an individual asset, one’s identity can be shaped and persuaded not only by life experiences, but by society as well. Bryan Stevenson speaks on several controversial issues and proclaims certain societal problems and the typical behaviors noticed in response to them. How one approaches the issues that are spoken about may expose their true identity. Stevenson argues that how one reacts to racial inequality within the criminal justice system may regulate their identity. In addition to that, how dealing with the nation’s history may force a growth on one’s identity, eventually bringing peace and acceptance to the nation. Lastly, how one views the
In the twentieth century, the United States of America has transitioned into a more diverse nation. Immigrants arriving from around the globe combined with African Americans to challenge the American identity. As a result, prominent figures including Theodore Roosevelt believed every American should indeed be Americanized. Throughout the twentieth century, Americanization, which means to sacrifice an old culture in favor of American culture, remains an issue amongst authors in particular. Authors in the twentieth century expressed their stance on the battle between cultural heritage and American assimilation. Some authors such as Langston Hughes supported diversity and pride in their culture. On the other end of the spectrum, others like Booker
By attempting to imitate the expected forms of expression of mainstream identities, the person is choosing to diminish part of their self. While Blackmore suggests that, “What makes us different is our ability to imitate (Blackmore p. 3),” covering can have strongly negative effects upon an individual and ostracized groups. By choosing to cover, an individual internalizes and upholds the ideology that some identities are better than others. Some people argue against a negative view of covering, suggesting that it is product of nurture and not fully a person’s conscious decision. Excusing covering by simply explaining it as a byproduct of a person’s upbringing is harmful because it does not hold the person accountable for their own actions. However, once the excuse behind explaining covering as an unconscious decision, the factor of consciousness is important to consider. Due to the
When thinking about Identity, it might be easy to just say that is “who we are”, or it’s just me. An identity is much more than that though. I like to think of it as a living puzzle. There are hundreds or thousands of pieces that come together to form the complete identity, or the complete “you”. I say living because an identity grows throughout the years and even changes depending on the situation. There is a multitude of influences that goes into forming a person’s identity some of which a person chooses and others they don’t. Family members and guardians are a primary source of learning when a child is young. As a person grows, the sphere of influence broadens to include mentors, media, and school. This identity is then a lens through which
There are many three levels to social structure which include the micro, meso, and macro levels. The micro level is the level that involves just yourself. This is the level that people are usually not ashamed of themselves and are not afraid to admit they are gay or are not ashamed of being a minority of any kind. This level is also the level that one can best feel their identity shaping and forming. The next level is the meso level. This level involves communities such as schools, at the workplace, or on a sports team. This is the level when people often categorize others into groups. One example of this happening was in the video of A Class Divided. At this level there was a sense of community, but also clear categories separating the class. Different eye colors were perceived as ideal or acceptable and if a child did not have that eye color, they were not privileged. In the RDSJ book, Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey examine how people go the extra mile to fit in with the group standards and expectations. This for example, showed in the video What Would You Do? As people saw the kid stealing the bike, if there was nobody around people usually did not get involved, but if there was a crowd of people, more and more would come. They did this because they wanted to fit in and feel they needed to conform to the patterns of the group. The last level in of social structure would be the macro level. The macro
Identity and Invisibility in Invisible Man. It is not necessary to be a racist to impose "invisibility" upon another person. Ignoring someone or acting as if we had not seen him or her, because they make us feel uncomfortable, is the same as pretending that he or she does not exist. "Invisibility" is what the main character of Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man called it when others would not recognize or acknowledge him as a person.
Zora Neal Hurston’s book, Their Eyes Were Watching God, reveals one of life’s most relevant purposes that stretches across cultures and relates to every aspect of enlightenment. The novel examines the life of the strong-willed Janie Crawford, as she goes down the path of self-discovery by way of her past relationships. Ideas regarding the path of liberation date all the way back to the teachings of Siddhartha. Yet, its concept is still recycled in the twenty-first century, as it inspires all humanity to look beyond the “horizon,” as Janie explains. Self-identification, or self-fulfillment, is a theme that persists throughout the book, remaining a quest for Janie Crawford to discover, from the time she begins to tell the story to her best friend, Pheoby Watson. Hurston makes a point at the beginning of the novel to separate the male and female identities from one another. This is important for the reader to note. The theme for identity, as it relates to Janie, carefully unfolds as the story goes on to expand the depths of the female interior.
Therefore, a mask is more than just a cover up. It conceals emotion and tells a lie about what's really going on behind it. It gives the person who wears it confidence but also a temporary disguise to make he or she believe that they're okay. People A mask is a front to hide physical emotion and beauty and tells a story at the same time. We learn to accept that we aren't perfect and wearing a mask is temporary relief from societies judgment. People can't always embrace that they have flaws in their looks or not as happy as society wants them to be, so wearing a mask gives them the perfect opportunity to have the happiness they desire.
The purpose of a mask is to hide everything that is wrong by not showing it in the slightest. Not even that makes anything better for the mask user and will NOT solve anything for them. A short-term solution will not solve a long-term problem and can make the situation worse. Characters like Avis in the novel “We Are Called To Rise” use a variety of masks to hide the variety of problems in their lives. In the novel, Laura McBride uses Avis and their use of an emotional avoidance mask to demonstrate that she purposely hides how she really feels by showing no strength or emotion.
I believe that my behavior varies based upon the situation I am placed into. If I am without familiar people in an unfamiliar location or situation where I am forced to speak to others, I will become increasingly nervous or anxious. Therefore, before properly becoming friends with me others may view me as simply quiet or rude because of my lack of words in certain situations. However, when people are genuinely kind and make me feel comfortable around them I tend to somewhat open up. Excluding my introversion in instances where I do not know anyone, I can surprisingly be relaxed and outgoing. When I’m participating in group activates with my friends we all instantly forget I’m even referred to as “the shy one” of the