Persona

The persona is our mask - the place in our personality where who we are perceived to be confronts who we really are. But, as C. G. Jung understood, the persona is not to be disregarded in the search for our true selves, but rather to be honored as an essential part of the rich and complex configuration of the whole person. Robert Hopcke underscores the persona's essential role of mediator between our inner and outer worlds. He follows the concept from Jung's original theory into its persistent manifestations in traditional rituals and the arts, and on into the lives of real men and women to explore such questions as: what is the result of identifying too completely with one's persona?; is it possible not to have a persona?; what part does persona play in sex roles and communication between the sexes?; how do people whose inner selves clash with cultural expectations - like women, gays and lesbians, and people of color - use their personas to adapt?