The Finite Mask That Covers the Infinite

[Molly Brogan]

Joseph Campbell is probably our best known contemporary expert on the subject of masks, and his work including his massive studies, Masks of God and Masks of Eternity, offer his keen insight into our own abilities to don a mask and uncover the masks we find.

What is it about us that put on our masks? What about us creates the need for one? When do we confuse our mask with who we really are? When are masks useful and when do they become obstacles for us?

I’m not talking about the functional, physical mask such as theatrical, surgical, protect and disguise mask etc. I am talking about the mask of persona, the way we pretend to be one way and are really another. Politesse is a good example and can often be a cultural custom. When our words and mannerisms are polite, but our actions and innuendos aggressive, we are wearing a mask. When we profess undying love as a means to an end, and walk away in the morning light, we are wearing a mask. Sometimes, we lose sight of our own masks and are confused about who we really are. Why?

What do YOU think?

[Michael]

I am talking about the mask of persona, the way we pretend to be one way and are really another.
What do YOU think?

We really are both, Molly.

[Molly Brogan]

We really are both, Molly.

The infinite!

[Michael]

Infinite.

And this is the bit I have to add because my message is too short.

[Thomas Knierim]

Wasn't it Shakespear who has answered that question?

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

No play without masks. :)

Cheers, Thomas

[Molly Brogan]

Wasn't it Shakespear who has answered that question?

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

No play without masks. :)

Cheers, Thomas

Shakespeare's characters used masks to either disguise, or allow the expression of otherwise difficult emotion.

[Michael]

I too thought that post was bit tangental.

[Trevor]

Joseph Campbell is probably our best known contemporary expert on the subject of masks, and his work including his massive studies, Masks of God and Masks of Eternity, offer his keen insight into our own abilities to don a mask and uncover the masks we find.

What is it about us that put on our masks? What about us creates the need for one? When do we confuse our mask with who we really are? When are masks useful and when do they become obstacles for us?

I’m not talking about the functional, physical mask such as theatrical, surgical, protect and disguise mask etc. I am talking about the mask of persona, the way we pretend to be one way and are really another. Politesse is a good example and can often be a cultural custom. When our words and mannerisms are polite, but our actions and innuendos aggressive, we are wearing a mask. When we profess undying love as a means to an end, and walk away in the morning light, we are wearing a mask. Sometimes, we lose sight of our own masks and are confused about who we really are. Why?

What do YOU think?

Sometimes the infinite that I feel that I am can be overwhelming, and I need a mask to give definition, or solidity, to bring that infiniteness into the realm of finiteness.
But in the end, aren't they one and the same?
I don't mean to mix threads, but when I think about the reincarnation research one that follows in this section, isn't that the ultimate idea of putting on masks to define the infinite?

[Flux]

Personally, I don't think that our “masks”, insofar as masks are metaphorical representations of apparent identities, cover anything at all. Personal identity is either a cultural construct or something that can be defined for pragmatic purposes in ethical and legal matters. But, the notion of a real self, as opposed to an apparent one, is something I don't find coherent. We are only the ways that we see ourselves, and the ways that others see us. Beyond those perspectives, we simply aren’t, but are rather only matter, energy, or what have you. All that exists are masks.

I don't find the notion of a "mask" to be the best metaphor however, as the notion of a mask has the connotation of deception, whether it is for malicious purposes or for purposes of entertainment. Also, the notion of a "mask" suggests that something underlies the mask, which, as I already mentioned, is something I deny. Although the use of metaphors is obviously based on personal preference, I find the notion of “roles” we adopt to be more intuitive. Roles can be more or less temporary. For instance, my role as a friendly or mean person or, if I were to be deceptive, as a love-stricken fellow is more temporary than my role as a student, which is in turn more temporary than my role as an American citizen. But no role is really fundamental—they are all, to some extent, simply roles that I adopt.

As for what it means for one’s true nature to be “the infinite”, I have absolutely no idea what that is supposed to mean. Do I admit that I have not read the book, so my lack of knowledge of the relevant passage might explain my being out of the loop. Would anyone care to explain? I think of the infinite as a mathematical concept. The only way that I can interpret what is meant here is that behind the mask, we are infinite insofar as we have the potentiality to don an infinite number of different masks.