Persona

The formation of the person - via suppression - the mask, what one passes for and what one appears to be, in contrast to one's real individual nature, corresponds to one's adaptation to the requirements of the age, of one's personal environment, and of the community.

The facade personality represents a considerable achievement on the part of conscience. Without its aid, morality and convention, the social life of the community and the ethical ordering of society would never have been possible in the first place.

The persona is the cloak and the shell, the armour and the uniform, behind which and within which the individual conceals himself - from himself, often enough - as well as from the world. It is the self-control which hides what is uncontrolled and uncontrollable, the acceptable facade behind which the dark and strange, eccentric, secret and uncanny side of our nature remains invisible.