Not every personal or social role becomes a person’s I. In order to become I (or one of I), a personal or social role must grow into a person, germinate in him his soul, become his own and alive.
Often a new role is experienced by a person as a mask and a guise. This usually happens when a new role is difficult to perform or, in fact, in content, conflicts with other, more familiar roles.
If a person has to be an Official, although he has hated officials all his life, then he rather experiences his behavior in this role as his mask. It’s not me!
The role is experienced as Not-I when it is unusual and difficult to perform.
The role of the Pope for many young people who have a child is initially strange and alien. «Am I a dad?» But time passes, he gets used to it, and soon becomes — Dad!
Mastering a new personal role is not always a simple matter, but it is quite real, especially if there is a desire for it. See →
If the personal role is mastered and in demand, then over time it not only leaves its imprint on the soul, but, as a rule, grows to the soul, grows into the soul and becomes a new I. From the external, they become internal. From someone else’s, it becomes one’s own and native.