Masks and the Sense of Self

Piers Ibbotson

Chapter Chapter 6 in The Illusion of Leadership, 2008, pp 51-62 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract There is an idea about that we are types, that we have immutable humors, or a knowable and realizable psychology and that, if only we could understand it and live it, we would somehow become our true, innate immutable and authentic selves: the “real me” behind the mask of parent, lover, maverick. For an actor it is very disturbing, and in some cases it drives people literally mad to discover that acting really is possible. You can be “someone else” – so completely, that to all intents and purposes you are them. Working with masks allows one to see that at the heart of this dilemma is play, we are playing at these things and that there is no harm in that, because truthful acting, great playing, can only come from a place of deep humility. Great acting is not about ego, it is about humility; it is about the absence of ego and that is a morally sound place. There is no danger to the soul in being a consummate performer. The danger lies in believing you are the mask.

Keywords: Body Language; Status Game; Realizable Psychology; Fellow Actor; False Face (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-20200-9_7

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DOI: 10.1057/9780230202009_7

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