“what a person should appear to be”
The Persona Archetype in the collective unconscious was proposed by C. G. Jung and refers to the personality that an individual projects to others. In other words, a “false self” rather than an “authentic self.” The purpose of this “mask” is to present an acceptable version of ourselves to the world, and conversely to conceal our true nature.
It contains the urges, cravings, inclinations and emotions that are not socially acceptable. The persona archetype allows people to adapt and fit into their society; however, becoming too closely identified with this archetype can lead an individual to lose sight of their True Self.
Insight # 62 comes to us from Eugene Pascal who in his book Jung to Live By (1992) shows how Jung’s theories can be applied to everyday life and how to achieve Self-Transformation.
“The word persona “comes from the Latin per+sona, meaning ‘to sound through.’ The persona were the large wooden masks worn by the actors in Greco-Roman theater. Hence, the persona is the form of an individual’s general character and attitude toward the outer world. The persona is a compromise between individual and society as to what a person should appear to be.”[i]
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Additional Reading:
- Persona, The ABC’s of Simple Reality, Vol 2
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[i] Pascal, Eugene. Jung to Live By. New York: Warner Books, Inc., 1992, p. 47.
