“Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.” – Oscar Wilde
This is not to say we should protest against authenticity itself. To be oneself–to speak sincerely, to express what one truly feels–is not the problem. The problem emerges when baring oneself is no longer a choice, but a psychologically imposed demand.
The mask is not deception. […] To defend the mask is to defend the shadow through which the self remains. In a world that mistakes exposure for truth… the mask may be the last form of honesty left.
