Kenneth Gergen In Defense Of Masks Analysis

The Existence of Multiple Identities In the essay, “In Defense of Masks”, by Kenneth Gergen, the author argues that we cannot be true to ourselves because we do not have a basic self identity. According to Gergen, psychologists make false assumptions: that one, every person can find their own sense of identity and two, that it is perfectly healthy to do so. In context with the author’s argument, studies have been conducted in order to evaluate different ‘masks’ of identity. One study involved female college students who were asked questions about themselves by an interviewer. The interviewer, in response, gave feedback by nodding in approval, smiling, and made comments in agreement. In contrast, the interviewer in the control group did not …show more content…
Since we may act accordingly to every moment throughout our day, we have multiple masks of identities that differ in regards to that given moment in time. We may have multiple masks, but we act according to our own personality even if it may change at times. For example, the term ‘introvert’ can be a personality factor that labels someone easily if they are quiet or not as interactive with others. However, that person may be quiet and shy when it comes to being in a crowd of people they are not familiar with, or they may be extremely loud and outgoing if they are with a group of friends that they have known for years. All these factors may be different masks that can contribute to one personality. Even though all these characteristics are quite contrasting, a single basic identity should not be given to someone if they have multiple behaviors, each being specific to every situation they are in. This does not mean, however, that someone must be putting up a front or ‘being fake’ since they are simply just representing themselves if these masks replicate our personalities. Gergen’s idea of concerning the use of multiple masks is that we do not use it to be superficial, but to realize what our full potentials are. It allows us to seek and explore what is truly important to us by experiencing different events and shaping who we are and our personalities from those …show more content…
Gergen identifies the second study as ‘approval-seeking’, that many people will conform their ways of behavior and try to impress others. One reason why humans constantly try to impress those around them is ultimately to be recognized for what they have accomplished. We may as humans sometimes have the need for a sense of identity, that whatever we are now, isn’t good enough because internally, we constantly compare ourselves to those who we think are better than us. By mirroring others, it possibly could add additional masks of identities to our personality pool because we want to fit in, for example, a circle of friends you just met, or a company you just started working for. By boosting our self-esteem, we choose to impress others. When impressing a crowd or just one person, we take on different identities that eventually allow us to adapt and learn from these certain situations. The essay, “Traveling as Education” in Compass: Paths to Effective Reading, comes into conversation with “In Defense of Masks”. It portrays how people must travel the world to have a better understanding of other cultures and traditions. It brings in a different kind of perspective that allows one to find truth and meaning in the unknown matters, including their own self. When discovering these unknown matters, travelers must readjust their views and take on new ideas. With this transition, people will have different