Since ancient times, actors have used theatrical masks, comic or tragic, but all those who make up the audience wear a variety of masks in their daily lives — symbols of the roles they play in the play of life. Roles can change — one today, another tomorrow — but the mask will always be on the face. The person never takes it off.
Our masks change with age. As adults, we put on the mask of a professional at work; coming home — a parent or spouse. Some masks involve a complete costume change. As a matter of fact, almost the entire wardrobe of a person is his mask, which is necessary for the performance of a certain role: “I am a seductive young girl”; «I am a business person»; “I’m going on a business trip, hunting, going for a walk…” In each case, I dress up according to the circumstances. Appearance says what role I play at the moment. A soldier, a policeman, a corporate employee, and a janitor who sweeps the street all dress up for their roles.
We change masks not only depending on the situation and mode of action, but also when communicating with different people. Each person has many masks, and he is able to change them with amazing speed. Every time we change roles consciously or unconsciously, we also change their symbols — masks. Communicating with one person, I play one role and put on the mask that is required for this, with another — the role and the mask for it are different. For some, these changes are not difficult. You may have met people — at parties, for example — who can change masks with lightning speed. Watching a person who knows how to move in society as he moves from one group to another is like watching a great actor instantly enter a new character. Sometimes the difference between the masks is almost imperceptible, sometimes the differences are so sharp that they are striking. Having changed the mask, the same person suddenly appears before you in a new image: a serious worker, a joker, a lover, a cynic or an enthusiast.
Some masks we put on consciously: among people of little interest to us, we smile, laugh at stupid anecdotes, and pretend to listen carefully when our thoughts soar far away; We make sad faces at funerals. Sometimes, of course, the mask reflects true, spontaneous experiences: we can laugh with happiness and cry because we are in grief — but even in this case, our gestures and facial expressions appropriate to the moment are not innate, but are acquired at a very early age. by imitation. Even some of the most elementary forms of self-expression — for example, a nod in agreement — are not universal, but are accepted only in one or another ethnic group. Most people’s collections of masks are simply amazing in their richness: there are thousands of them!
The habit of wearing a mask is given to us from birth. From early childhood, long before the child utters the first word, he learns to scream not in pain, but to attract the attention of his parents, smiles to ingratiate himself with someone, and generally plays shows. From childhood, we are taught to speak politely with strangers, because this is part of human relationships. Social pressure forces us to keep within the bounds of decorum. We can’t hit someone we don’t like, but we can’t afford to express our love for everyone we like, again because of secular conventions. Sometimes we put on a comic or tragic mask, a mask of boredom or indifference, self-confidence or ridicule — all these are masks accepted in society.
We are accustomed to act with each other as if we are acting out a play, knowing our roles by heart, while our manners serve us as much as a disguise, like clothes. “Excuse me, please”, “How are you?”, “I wish you a good time” — all these words are just a mask of politeness imposed on us by the environment. A well-calculated formal bow is an indispensable attribute of social behavior among the Japanese, while in some other national environment the same role is played by a pat on the back.
Society tends to make people appear worse than they really are, although we don’t always realize this. Sometimes we demonize ourselves just to be accepted in a certain circle. In militarized circles, you need to appear tough, harsh and courageous — only in this case you will be accepted as one of your own; the so-called «high society» requires a person to be witty, unprincipled and cynical. Wearing a mask is not only a way of self-affirmation, but also a necessary condition for creating close, intimate relationships. Many years ago a young woman came to me on the eve of her wedding with a series of questions about marriage. Shortly before that, she had become Jewish, but psychologically and emotionally she belonged to the generation of the sixties. We talked about how she imagines her relationship with her husband. Since she went through the hippie school, her ideal of married life was based on complete trust and openness. I told her (although this may not sound like rabbi advice) that being married does not mean that you are constantly in a courtroom where you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. (No, in truth, this was the real advice of the rabbi — see the Babylonian Talmud, «Yevamot», 65b).
There is no need to lay out all the ins and outs about yourself to each other, you can skip something. About six months later, I met her husband and realized that she did not heed my advice. With the naked eye, you could see how he was suffering. She not only told him everything she thought about him at any given moment, but also spoke in detail about her past. I realized that the poor husband could not bear so much truth.
The positive side of wearing a mask is that it serves to protect our inner self, and sometimes protects others from it. We are forced to wear it in order to maintain the normal course of society, to protect other people, and not harm them. After all, a sharp, gu.e.e. and unceremonious word is quite capable of destroying a person. One and the same thought can be expressed in a conversation with him both harshly, categorically, and more gently, sparing his feelings.
The mask has a lot of functions, and it is dangerous to take it off. Sometimes the mask, like clothing, covers nakedness; sometimes it is a shield, and sometimes it is massive iron armor. The body must be protected both from overheating or burns, and from severe hypothermia. Physical and psychological nudity have much in common: in both cases, both the mask and the clothing provide a survival advantage. This is not a lie, but a shield, armor, part of the necessary measures that a person is forced to take in order not to die.
Everyone wears a mask, and everyone knows that this is not the person’s real face. Do we, by putting it on, commit forgery, falsification? What relationship does a person have with her? The mask reveals and hides at the same time. In a sense, every word is a mask of some idea.
There is always a complex and intricate relationship between the inner «I» (if it exists) and its disguises. We are not mindless beings, we are conscious and use masks of our own choice, which, however, reflects our inner essence. Whenever a person puts on a mask, consciously or unconsciously, it is never completely alien to him and inevitably reflects at least part of the truth about his true self.
We put on a mask as something facing the outside world, but choosing it is a consequence of internal processes, their result, even if we think that we are imitating someone. The image chosen by a person in which he wants to appear before others is no less important for understanding his personality than the study of the inner world. Since our disguises are the result of permanent changes associated with age, status, the requirements of society, we do not have a chosen once and for all, fixed appearance — our mask evolves with us. Where does the shell end and the essence begin? Is the turtle shell her home? Shelter? Is it possible to imagine a turtle without a shell? Of course, there is a huge difference between it and a man: a turtle cannot change its shell at will. Man is a more complex being, and therefore he is able to change and indeed does change his masks. However, we create an image, and it, in turn, affects the formation of personality. There are many works in fiction on the topic of how a person who has carried a mask for quite a long time cannot take it off, and if he does, he finds that his face without a mask has retained a resemblance to it, although he no longer wants to wear it .
If a change of image is possible, then there must be a true «I» that does this. Is there any at all, is it possible to completely get rid of the mask? A person cannot be seen without it even in his bedroom. He always plays a role — both being among well-dressed people and lying naked under a blanket — although, of course, we are talking about completely different roles. The mask will be different, but it will still remain the same. It seems that we will never be able to completely get rid of the masks.
In many cultures there is a fear of physical exposure, but spiritual exposure is even more fearful. We feel that there is a lot of bad things inside us that can cause disgust, irritation or laughter in others. Therefore, we continue to play roles, fearing to go out of character and expose what is hidden inside. Years of living and studying add new layers to the protective shell of our existence. They can be peeled off one by one, like layers of an onion, but what is left in the end? We are frightened by the thought that our whole being resembles an onion, and if you remove layer after layer from it, then nothing will remain as a result.
On the other hand, we tend to undress. A warrior returning from the battlefield wants to take off his armor, a businessman, once at home, wants to throw off his jacket and tie. In the same way, many veils of politeness or respectability tire us out, and we may develop a desire to expose what is hidden under them. We hope that by being naked, we will find lightness, freedom, even happiness. Sometimes it seems to us that if we were able to throw off the masks of education or intelligence, we would discover our inner essence under them. This feeling is based on the assumption that ordinary people are more truthful, authentic, real, artless. Is it so? A “naked” person, a primitive person, a person without a mask — is he more honest and natural than in a mask? Is it imposed or as natural as aspects of personality known only to ourselves? Is it right to consider a naked person more natural than a well-dressed gentleman? «The Real Adam» — Naked or Clothed?
So what happens when people take off their “clothes” and say what they think? Let’s express the same thought in a different way so that it looks more picturesque. Suppose I say to someone, “I want to see you as you really are. Get undressed! The man undresses, remains completely naked. Then I say: “No, this is not enough. You are still dressed. Take off all the flesh. We have to get to the deepest point. To the bone.» Is a skeleton really more authentic than a human body with flesh and blood? Is this the essence of man? Is it better to see the «real person»?
But does a person who undergoes psychoanalysis really know the true self? Removing all the layers, one after another, reveals not at all the “true” essence of the personality, but only another facet of it. All this is a partial reality. A small child, having learned to take off clothes from a doll, will begin to undress all the dolls that fall under his arm. Then he will try to undress the dog. Perhaps children have a truly scientific curiosity: they want to see the truth, to know what is inside every thing.
What is behind this metaphor? What is the true essence of man? Are the garments we wear as adults worse than what we were born with? If you deprive a person of everything he has acquired during his life and leave only what was originally inherent in him, he will not become cleaner from this. The pure spiritual essence of the individual belongs to another world; it is not all his inner «I». Personality is of a combined nature and includes flesh, blood, feelings, mind, temperament, soul and … masks.
The true «I» most likely does not exist. His search is not to answer the question whether it is possible to be completely naked, and not whether such exposure reveals the real truth. The main thing is to understand whether such a tearing of the veils can be considered an achievement. That naked being that will appear before us — is it better than the former man? Or vice versa: a changed, civilized, smart person is higher in his level?
Here is a story about a meeting between Rabbi Akiva and the Roman ruler of Palestine, Tinney Rufus (whom the Jews called the tyrant Rufus), to illustrate this confusing issue. A philosophical dispute took place between them, which was connected, on the one hand, with the spiritual collapse of paganism in Rome itself, and on the other hand, with political friction between the Jewish population and the Roman rulers. (This happened around 130 CE, before Bar Kochba’s rebellion against the Romans. Rabbi Akiva was one of the greatest thinkers of his time, indeed, of all time. Tinney Rufus did not win this argument; he completed it later by simply ordering the execution of his opponent).
The Roman asked Rabbi Akiva: “Which is higher, nature or what people do with it?” Rabbi Akiva answered without hesitation: “What people do is higher.” The Roman asked the following question: «Can man create heaven and earth?» “No,” Akiva said, “we cannot create heaven and earth, but what people can do, they do better. Look, on the one hand, at the stalk of flax, and on the other, at the cloth made from it; look at the heap of wheat and the loaf of bread. Which of these creations is higher? Finding no answer, the Roman asked, «Tell me, why are you circumcised?» Tinney Rufus wanted to prove that nature is more perfect than the creations of human hands, thereby refuting one of the main provisions of Judaism, which says that man is an accomplice in the matter of Creation, he is responsible for this world and is obliged to transform it, making it better. Rabbi Akiva did not allow him to develop this thought. He didn’t mean to be joking, and his words weren’t a tactical ploy. From the position presented by Rabbi Akiva, far-reaching conclusions follow. A natural, natural object is not necessarily higher or more perfect. A person who is dressed, and therefore more fit, moves to another, higher level of perfection.
The Biblical commandment concerning the clergy says: «And make them a linen underclothes to cover their nakedness, from the waist to the knees» («Exodus», 28:42). This commandment is not intended to accustom the clergy to modesty, so that no one could see the intimate parts of their bodies naked (they wore long uekhi to the very ankles). She, apparently, pursues a different goal: to hide the nakedness of the priests from themselves.
This dress has a symbolic meaning and is necessary for some rituals, but it also has a psychological meaning. Each person has something that is better to hide from everyone, including yourself. The desire to expose the hidden is not always commendable. Clothing does not help us get rid of our secrets, but only hides them. Constantly turning to them and exposing them to the public, you can cause yourself severe harm. There are negative aspects in every person’s personality that should be suppressed and hidden away so that there is no temptation to develop them and even make them dominant. We all have a flaw in us that we often don’t even realize. As long as evil is hidden, a person can still somehow fight against it, but when it is exposed, the fragile balance of his “I” is disturbed and evil becomes more dangerous than when it was in a latent state. The French philosopher Montaigne wrote that if people were punished for their thoughts, then everyone would deserve to be hanged several times a day.
Such suppression can be seen not only as a defense mechanism against outsiders — it also protects people from themselves.
There is such an Aramaic expression: “That the heart does not open the mouth” (“Cohelet of a servant”, 12:9, “Midrash tehillim”, psalm 9.). In the same way, there are things that the heart does not reveal even to itself. Only exceptional people can peer into the abyss of their soul without trembling. Peering into it is like punching through a crust of caked lava in a crater: a red-hot mass can break out and incinerate everything around.
Thus, the mask of chastity is nothing more than a means of self-defense. It should be removed with great care and as little as possible. “The most deceitful of all is the human heart and utterly depraved; who knows him?» — said the prophet Jeremiah (17:9). God naturally knows this; some of the people suspect that this is so, but it is more convenient to be ignorant. The cover is not a deception, but rather a way of containment and control. Everything in a person should be in interaction with each other, he should use what he has wisely, but first of all, he should keep his internal predators in a cage.
At one of the debates about mercy, the sages spoke of those who pretend to need donations, but in fact can do without them (Mishnah, Peah, 8:9.). They argued that a person who pretended to be lame and begged for alms on the basis of this would not die until he actually became lame, and that the one who pretended to be sick would be driven to the grave by the very disease that he feigned. The mask becomes reality. The mask has a very great influence on a person, even against his will. One of the participants in this dispute said: “So it is with those who pretend to be lame. And what then awaits the one who pretends to be a saint? The answer is the same: he will not die until he becomes a saint. And this is really a punishment, because the life of a saint is immeasurably harder than the life of a saint. But this is also a reward — for the fact that a person put on just such a mask.
The Midrash says that on Mount Sinai the Lord appeared before everyone in the same guise in which He had previously appeared to man. According to Jewish concepts, a leader is a person who is able to find an individual approach to everyone. Maybe this is a gift of God: to be able to appear before a person the way he wants to see you (“Shemot Servant”, 5:9.).
Perhaps the root question is not whether a person can be naked, and not whether he should do it, but what kind of mask he should wear. In what way should I dress up my personality so that it looks the most exalted? Man and his mask, nature and artifact, hand and tool — all this is interconnected. Human nature is unique: we have been given the ability to choose our own mask — a demon or an angel.