I have been prompted to write about “Personas” and I feel a little nervous about doing so. When I feel like this, it signifies that I am hitting on something big for myself. So, therefore, I will tread lightly, be gentle and love myself for being afraid.
What is a persona, exactly? According to www.dictionary.com:
per·so·na [per-soh-nuh] – noun
1. a person.
2. personae, the characters in a play, novel, etc.
3. the narrator of or a character in a literary work, sometimes identified with the author.
4. (in the psychology of C. G. Jung) the mask or façade presented to satisfy the demands of the situation or the environment and not representing the inner personality of the individual; the public personality (contrasted with anima).
5. a person’s perceived or evident personality, as that of a well-known official, actor, or celebrity; personal image; public role.
All of us have an entire cast of characters living within us, created through our life experiences. Most Personas are formed during our core years, prior to age seven, which makes for an interesting time as an adult. Personas begin as a safety net, usually. We form them so that we can fit in to our society and/or family situation.
As we grow, these Personas can morph and become an entity of their own as we continue to feed them. Some of them are bigger, more noticeable and more vocal than others and we find ourselves living mostly through them. Some of them are incredibly brilliant and actually move us forward in our lives. Others are a hindrance. Many of them bring drama with them. All of them require a supporting cast. What sort of cast, depends on you.
The interesting thing about Personas is that they are two dimensional. They require a “partner” to be complete. In the personal work I have been doing over the past few years, I have had the opportunity to do Persona Play, wherein I choose a particular persona and exaggerate it. In the beginning, I had difficulty defining the eyes through which I see at times. I discovered that sometimes it was easier to identify the “partner” I was calling in to discover my own Persona.
I realized that, when I was referring to significant relationships – be they family, friends or lovers – when I referred to the “partner” with statements like “always” or “never” or “you make me” that I was in a Persona of my own. I discovered that when themes kept appearing in my relationships – abuse, illness, lack, etc – that I was in a Persona.
When I create a relationship while in Persona, it requires the complimentary Persona to show up to sustain the energy. Conversely, when I become aware I am in a Persona and choose to alter that Persona, it causes shockwaves to go through the relationship, especially if I have not enrolled my “partner” in the change prior to making the change.
As I thought about this article, I had the idea that I would share a list of the Personas I have been (or still am) or have witnessed, along with some of the “partners” I have discovered. The “partner” can be a supporter of the Persona or it can be an antagonist, depending on which energy your Persona is looking to draw on.
Perhaps, if you notice a trait that you continually find in your relationships you may be able to look within and find the Persona that is calling them forth. Then, with acknowledging that Persona and becoming aware, you can move forward into healthier alignments. The first step to changing directions is always awareness.
Oh yeah. One other thing I should mention… Personas tend to be very self-righteous. If you read through the following list and find yourself wanting to punch the computer because of some of the things listed… those could very possibly be some of your Personas.
This list is a very short list. I am sure there are hundreds of variations on this theme, so this is simply to spark your brain. Read on and remember: Not all Personas are unhealthy. It depends on how you run them…
Persona: Partners
Broken: Healer, Caretaker, Hero, Rescuer, Savior, Destroyer
Sick: Healer, Toxic, Detached, Audience
Exhausted: Rescuer, Lazy, Ill, Detached, Tornado
Over-emotional: Under-emotional, Detached, Empty, Destroyer
Abused: Destroyer, Detached, Abuser, Addict, Careless, Uncaring
Center-of-Attention: Audience, Supporter, Competitor, Detached
Competitor: Fighter, Scorekeeper
Overachiever: Lazy, Underachiever, Detached, Exhausted
Victim: Hero, Villain, Rescuer, Savior, Destroyer, Detached
Performer: Audience, Deaf/Dumb/Mute/Blind, Supporter
Broke: Over-spender, Under-earner, Lazy, Empty, Detached, Carrot-Chaser, Rich
Lonely: Detached, Empty, Deaf/Dumb/Mute/Blind, Closed
Stupid: Smart, Reminder, Teacher
Little: Bigger, Destroyer, Detached
Big: Smaller, Abused, Detached, Audience
Teacher: Students, Audience, Deaf/Dumb/Mute/Blind
Perfectionist: Detached, Careless, Lazy, Destroyer, Tornado
Over-worker: Uncaring, Detached, Unappreciative, User, Underachiever
Focused: Scattered, Lazy, Careless, Follower, Deaf/Dumb/Mute/Blind
