Are we all wearing masks?
June 25, 2007
Tom Friedman, in his article "Behind the Masks"makes the observation, in speaking about the conflict between Hamas and Fatah that the two reasons people wear masks are to inflict fear and to hide from shame. In our society, he notes, only the burglars, the rapists and the KKK wear masks.
But are we not all wearing masks?
Adin Steinsalts, the renowned author and philosopher, says in his book Simple Words that we do. He believes that we always play one role at one time and another role at another time, but we wear masks almost all the time. We humans are never completely naked. It is part of human nature. We assume roles that may sometimes not really be who we are. We also deeply care about how others see us and want to protect that image especially if it is positive!
However, the anonymity that a mask provides can also facilitate deception and allow negative behavior. Masks are also used during carnivals, when behind a mask a respectable citizen can ignore conventional rules of behavior and act inappropriately. Some people who behave very properly in society become anti-social behind the wheel. It was suggested that if the names of drivers were displayed on every vehicle, we would have more responsible driving.
Kimlyn Bender (winner of the Elie Wiesel prize on ethics) in her article "The Masks: The Loss of Moral Conscience and Personal Responsibility." points out that in the Lord of the Flies, Jack, the main protagonist found a freedom behind the mask that allowed him to commit "savage acts" which otherwise, his moral conscience would not allow.
Our behavior is often linked to our sense of identity. By wearing a mask we can try to hide our identity from others and falsely believe that we are no longer accountable.
Looking at ourselves in the mirror is probably a rare moment when we are not wearing a mask. It can also engage our conscience and allow a change in behavior.
As the Dalai Lama wrote in "Ethics for the New Millennium:
"I'm looking at the man in the mirror, I'm asking him to change his ways..."
Comments (1)
July 9, 2007 6:55 AM, Posted by Robbie Friedman
I found the "Masks" blog from a couple of weeks ago particularly interesting, thank you. I have often thought about the different roles we play when interacting with different people as well as the way one sentence may be perceived in completely different ways, depending on who is delivering it. I sometimes find myself reacting in a negative way to something one of my sisters says to me. And then I consider how I would react if, say, my boss or a cute girl on the train said the same thing? and then I feel ashamed. Often, it is not only our own masks that drive our behaviour but the masks that we see on others that we respond to, rather than their words or behaviour.