Behind our masks

Travelling to work on the bus I usually read the free Metro newspaper, and observe my fellow passengers, as well as pedestrians the vehicle passes on its journey to the centre of Glasgow. What has occurred to me is not particularly novel, in fact I imagine most people have thought about it at some time or another - what we see of others is merely their facade. Take me for example, if you were to see me out and about I'd wager you'd never suspect I suffer from mental health issues or neurosis. On the contrary, I have been described as self-assured and even arrogant before! I suppose we all do our best to hide our vulnerabilities from others.

I've often thought that Shakespeare's quote about all the world being a stage is true, and have often observed people conforming to stereotypes, and adopting the mannerisms and behaviour that they perceive to be suitable for the character they have assumed. Sociologists even have a theory by which to describe this phenomena, Role Theory:

Role theory is a perspective in sociology and in social psychology that considers most of everyday activity to be the acting out of socially defined categories (e.g., mother, manager, teacher). Each social role is a set of rights, duties, expectations, norms and behaviours that a person has to face and fulfill. The model is based on the observation that people behave in a predictable way, and that an individual’s behavior is context specific, based on social position and other factors. The theatre is a metaphor often used to describe role theory.

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Substantial debate exists in the field over the meaning of the "role" in role theory. A role can be defined as a social position, behavior associated with a social position, or a typical behavior. Some theorists have put forward the idea that roles are essentially expectations about how an individual ought to behave in a given situation, while others consider it means how individuals actually behave in a given social position. Others have suggested that a role is a characteristic behavior or expected behavior, a part to be played, or a script for social conduct.

Source: Wikipedia

I can vividly recall my great-grandmother worrying that I didn't have a scarf once when I was a young boy, probably about eight or nine years old. I told her that my mum didn't mind, and she replied by telling me that she was a grandmother and was supposed to worry about such things. This was the first time that it occurred to me that people are essentially actors.

Since then this notion has been confirmed on numerous occasions, and it's sometimes quite amusing to shock people by acting in a way that doesn't conform to my perceived role. When I was drinking heavily I'd often buy a half bottle of whisky on my way home from work, and would usually drink most of it on the bus. I noticed that I elicited the most shocked looks when I was looking my smartest! Conversely when I've drunk in public dressed like a ned* - stubble, baseball cap, football shirt, tracksuit bottoms and trainers - nobody seems to notice. It's not the act itself that shocks people, but the incongruity of seeing a smartly dressed office worker behaving like a ned.

Dressed as a ned I have also been followed around shops and supermarkets by overzealous security guards, convinced I was going to steal something. On one such occasion the guard's presence was particularly suffocating, and he quite literally followed me up and down each aisle. Finally I said to him, in my best telephone voice, "Excuse me, Sir! I'm hosting a dinner tonight and wondered what sort of wine would best compliment mushroom canapes?" I can still recall his stunned expression!



*Wikipedia's definition of the term - Ned is a derogatory term applied in Scotland to hooligans, louts or petty criminals, latterly with the stereotypical implication that they wear casual sports clothes. Such usage in Glasgow dates back to the 1960s or earlier.