When we dress up in costumes, we leave our normal world behind. This is a literal, physical feeling, one you can sense even when dressing up for a dinner at the Chez Fancy or going to one of them there Broadway shows. Different costumes for different events, as you fit the new mold of who you are supposed to be, then, and there. Going to a sporting event, for instance, requires a different costume than one for the opera, and it will make you feel like a different person. Perhaps.
If you agree so far, than, ask yourself this: What does this say about us? That we - the individuals we think of as "us", or, "I" - are actually largely constructed from the clothes we wear, and the circumstances we normally find ourselves. How could you argue for a permanent "you" if "you" can change simply by wearing a different costume?
I would argue we, knowingly or not, use this dynamic as a social and personal release valve. Halloween, for another example, allows you to confront the darker side of life, in a fun and socially accepted way. You delve into it, knowing you'll be right out. You get to take a break from your own life, escape from your self, and perhaps see the world with new eyes.
It's like a battery recharge, and the more often you can break out of the mundane, the more fresh you'll be. This is the point of many of our costumed rituals.
So, live long and prosper, Star Trek (and all affiliated) nerds. Enjoy the liberation which is the release of self.
This is the near ultimate aim of Buddhism, by the way: Letting go of the ego, understanding what it really is in the process: An illusion. A costume. A mask.
Also, too: I was on this same not London Bridge back in the banner year of 2004:
2 comments:
The mask used by an actor in Greek drama was called a "persona."
Awesome fact, and right to my point.
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