Some suggest the personality is entirely shadow-based. However, just like the ego, it has a natural function. But it can have heavy overlays.
It’s better to see our personality as a blend of laws of nature and experiences that often get a little corrupted by stress and coping behaviours.
Within the container of the personality, we have roles to play as a partner, parent, worker, or whatever. And we have qualities and talents that come together to create the kinds and styles of role we express. For example, we may have good organizational skills that serve us well at work. Or we may have a sense of humour that attracted a partner and makes us socially popular.
In our effort to feel safe or hide aspects of ourselves that we’re uncomfortable with, we can add “masks” to our roles. We’ll add an appearance to our natural personality and try to redirect others’ attention away from it. For example, if we’re sensitive, we might develop a workaround to be less visible or attract less attention by playing small, dressing down, and so forth. Like most workarounds and coping strategies, it’s not very effective. Often, people respond more to our energy than appearance. Yet it can give us the sense of being safer.
But roles don’t have to be masks. If we heal and take off the overlays, we’re left with the simple roles we play.
As we dissolve ego and identity attachments, our roles cease binding us. They become a means of expression and relating.
Then we can play those roles as we are, on the stage of life, vulnerable and without masks…
Davidya