The Good Mask

The third mask that one needs to shed to discover one’s true self is the good mask. The good mask is formed by one’s profession, apostolate, or works of charity. Thus, one can be a teacher, nurse, social worker, principal, and such. These identities are based on the work one does. Typically, one’s work is one’s choice or is entrusted to one by family or congregation. Work enables one to take care of self and family, and provides purpose for one’s life. 

An identity based on work can evolve into a seemingly innocuous mask, the good mask. However, a mask is still a mask and hinders one from realizing one’s true self. The good mask being good is insidious, hard to detect and harder to remove. To find one’s pure self, one necessarily needs to look at oneself with the eyes of God and not according to the importance of one’s work. Removing the good mask does not imply that one should stop doing the work one is engaged in. Rather, it means that one ought to cease viewing oneself through the work’s temporary and changing conditions. Professions and occupations change. The true self cannot be understood and realized through fleeting circumstances. 

The danger in wearing the good mask is that one becomes blind and cannot see life holistically. If one works as a manager and sees oneself only through one’s work, one would relate to others only as a boss to subordinates. One might even relate to everyone else as one’s subordinates because one would only know one way to relate - through one’s work. One’s identity would exist only if one holds a position. One would find it extremely difficult when removed from the position or when retired, as the identity shatters. The good mask can make one believe that one only is competent and superior and that others are inept and inferior. 

Continuing with this example of a manager, a better way of understanding one’s work is to see that one is not a manager but has the responsibility of managing for a specific period. Management is not one’s identity but only a responsibility that can change at any time. One’s true identity is much deeper and permanent than shallow identification with transient work. 

Self-awareness can light up the process of recognizing and peeling off the various forms the good mask assumes in one’s life.

           Some questions that can further one’s journey of self-realization are: 

1.     Am I not more than the work I do?

2.     Has my work become my worship?

3.     Do I always look at others through the lens of my position?

4.     Do I introduce myself to others stating my profession or occupation?

5.     If one is unable to work for certain reasons, does one not have an identity?