The masks we wear
A large part of my life involves pretending to be someone else. It takes great preparation, immense amounts of effort, and a practiced concentration. When I choose an alternate persona it cannot be taken lightly. It is a serious operation. I start out thinking about how realistically I can meld myself into this other person. It’s not a challenge if you don’t stretch yourself but if you attempt to take on too much you will fail to be convincing. It has to feel natural if it is to be perceived as natural.
Sometimes it is easiest to examine appearances first. What will you wear? How will your hair be styled? What do you carry in your pockets? Most of the time however I find it easiest to start with motivation. Motivation is key. You have to know why you exist, what your purpose is, how you react to certain stimuli? If you can’t answer these questions first you will falter when asked later and your face will reflect your uncertainty. Even the unlikely must be addressed. Under what instances would you lie, steal, kill? How much will you sacrifice for a stranger, a friend, family? Morality is more flexible then one would think.
Once you have established the present it’s time to reach back. It’s time to create your history. Each of the motivational scenarios dictated above has a reason. Everything that you are now comes from a succession of events that happened in the past. Even small events will turn your path one way or the other. How did you siblings treat you growing up? Did you mother dress your wounds or leave you to fend for yourself? Your choice in fashion could be affected by a need to compensate for an insecurity carried since childhood. A particular fear has no time limit, it will continue to effect you into adulthood. Faith or lack of faith in people, ideals, and/or deities are strong shapers of young minds.
The path that starts in the past, continues to the present also pushes us to the future. We all have goals and it is those goals that give us purpose, they allow us to feel like we are real and worthy of the life we have been given. Sometimes the completion of a tiny task, such as the cleaning of a room or seeking out answers to a question can gift us with a sense of accomplishment and allow us to move forward an gain confidence to take the next step. It is the larger goals that give us direction. Do you want to become successful in your line of work, or have an influence on the community around you? Does the accumulation of wealth and possessions fuel your fire? Will the creation of a beautiful piece of art let you die happy? Do you feel the need to pass on knowledge to your progeny?
The details will finish you off. What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any habits? What is your name? Do you have a nickname? How old are you? Are you married? Kids? What level of schooling do you have? How will you die? Of course most of this is interconnected and sometimes you have no control over how you will be created but when you do it’s best to be well thought out so that when the world greets you with its love and hostility you will be ready and able to adapt and grow. We all have our ways to cope with life’s challenges. Some will choose to face it head on. Some will hide from it. I choose to replicate them in a false world with paper people and by adding a dose of dice controlled randomness I can simulate reality. I have the power to create life. Once a week I role-play. I am a geek.
Sometimes it is easiest to examine appearances first. What will you wear? How will your hair be styled? What do you carry in your pockets? Most of the time however I find it easiest to start with motivation. Motivation is key. You have to know why you exist, what your purpose is, how you react to certain stimuli? If you can’t answer these questions first you will falter when asked later and your face will reflect your uncertainty. Even the unlikely must be addressed. Under what instances would you lie, steal, kill? How much will you sacrifice for a stranger, a friend, family? Morality is more flexible then one would think.
Once you have established the present it’s time to reach back. It’s time to create your history. Each of the motivational scenarios dictated above has a reason. Everything that you are now comes from a succession of events that happened in the past. Even small events will turn your path one way or the other. How did you siblings treat you growing up? Did you mother dress your wounds or leave you to fend for yourself? Your choice in fashion could be affected by a need to compensate for an insecurity carried since childhood. A particular fear has no time limit, it will continue to effect you into adulthood. Faith or lack of faith in people, ideals, and/or deities are strong shapers of young minds.
The path that starts in the past, continues to the present also pushes us to the future. We all have goals and it is those goals that give us purpose, they allow us to feel like we are real and worthy of the life we have been given. Sometimes the completion of a tiny task, such as the cleaning of a room or seeking out answers to a question can gift us with a sense of accomplishment and allow us to move forward an gain confidence to take the next step. It is the larger goals that give us direction. Do you want to become successful in your line of work, or have an influence on the community around you? Does the accumulation of wealth and possessions fuel your fire? Will the creation of a beautiful piece of art let you die happy? Do you feel the need to pass on knowledge to your progeny?
The details will finish you off. What do you do in your spare time? Do you have any habits? What is your name? Do you have a nickname? How old are you? Are you married? Kids? What level of schooling do you have? How will you die? Of course most of this is interconnected and sometimes you have no control over how you will be created but when you do it’s best to be well thought out so that when the world greets you with its love and hostility you will be ready and able to adapt and grow. We all have our ways to cope with life’s challenges. Some will choose to face it head on. Some will hide from it. I choose to replicate them in a false world with paper people and by adding a dose of dice controlled randomness I can simulate reality. I have the power to create life. Once a week I role-play. I am a geek.