You must understand what a personality is. The word personality comes from the word persona. Persona means, in Greek, or in Latin, I’m sorry – is a mask. This is a mask that they used to use in old theatres. Now, the same people will be playing many roles. Let’s say Ramayan is happening. You have to play Rama’s role also, and Sita’s role also, and Lakshman’s role also. For everything there’s one, one mask. You hold this mask and speak like Rama, keep it down. Hold this mask and speak like Sita, keep it down. Hold this and speak like Hanuman and keep it down. This is how the plays were done.
Personality means, you held a mask, and mask got stuck to your face
So it is those masks which were referred to as persona. So personality means, you held a mask, and mask got stuck to your face. You couldn’t pull it out. That means you have a personality. Personality is something that people are trying to develop, because they have no sense of ‘be-ing’. Instead of the real thing, you’re trying to concretise a fake thing. If you are in touch with your ‘being’, why do you want a personality? It’s not necessary. You can be a different kind of personality in different places. You are, actually, already. Or are you stuck with one personality? Some people are. People who are simplistic in their head, have only one personality. Others have different personalities in different areas of life, isn’t it?
So personality is something that you have taken on. But, you have become so unconscious about it, that you think it’s for real. You’re asking how to develop – that means you’re making it up, right? Another word for developing is making up, isn’t it? You’re making it up. Make it up whichever way is suitable for your kind of activity. But you must be able to keep it down. If it gets stuck to your face, then it becomes misery. Then all suffering will come to you. You can take on any kind of personality, but when you want to keep it down, you must be able to keep it down.
