Identity and role
Identity and role
Muse #381 - sometimes the role becomes the identity
Today’s the 70th Anniversary of the Queen’s ascension to the throne in the United Kingdom. And Elizabeth II or Lilybeth has done her life’s work as Queen. And I have always admired her posture, poise and wit.
Only a very few get to play roles that become the identity of their lifetime. And the Queen is an extreme example of that. And a marvelous one at that. In fact, I would say that she has no identity other than being the Queen. And therefore this role has merged and become her identity. I am sure there is really any person left beyond the role in her.
For most of us, we play a multitude of roles. At work for example. And hopefully, this does not become our identity. We also play roles at home - as a spouse, as a parent, as a cook, as a handyman or handywoman, as a gardener, etc., etc. except none of this become us. They are only things we exhibit as a convenience to fit into our environment in order to exist. To adapt. To survive.
But for some who are truly blessed, they get to play roles larger than life that become them. Like the Queen, the Pope, the Dalai Lama, Steve Jobs, and so forth. For some, they force their identity on the role - people like Donald Trump, Putin, or Xi in China now would be a few examples.
For the rest of us, we keep doing a lifetime of acting in various roles and maybe some become end up evolving to one of those roles permanently.