"The mask eats the face.” Ever since I heard that aphorism, it has stayed with me as a warning against the dangers of relying for too long on artifice, pretence or dishonesty.
We may think we can present a false or distorted version of ourselves to the world while guarding some authentic “inner self ”, but this is an illusion. The performer gets lost in the performance. The boundaries blur.
The social-media age and the culture of supercharged public sharing which it has enabled, present certain dangers for those who seek to maintain their integrity; that is to say a healthy alignment between values, statements, behaviour and relationships. It has never been easier to construct your own image, to be your own public-relations guru.
