21/09/2025
Fascinating concept of ' Freedom of masks'
On Maskenfreiheit.
The German word Maskenfreiheit is a fascinating concept. Literally translated it means “the freedom of the mask,” though it is sometimes interpreted more loosely as the “helpful mask.” The term suggests that when we wear a mask, whether literal or symbolic, we can, paradoxically, become more ourselves. The mask can offer protection, a boundary, or a persona that enables us to step more freely into roles, situations, or truths that might otherwise feel too vulnerable. In Jungian thought, this resonates deeply with the persona or the the mask each of us wears to meet the demands of the outer world. Far from being mere pretence, the persona is an archetypal necessity: it mediates between our inner life and society, allowing us to take part in the collective drama of existence.
In everyday life, we all wear masks. We may present the “professional” self at work, the “nurturing” self with children, the “confident” self in social gatherings. These masks are not necessarily falsehoods; they are facets of our larger identity, shaped to meet particular contexts. In this sense, the mask can be immensely helpful. It allows us to navigate complex worlds with adaptability, to hold aspects of ourselves in reserve until the right time, and to avoid the exposure that can come with unfiltered honesty.
Yet, masks can also hinder us. When a mask hardens into a permanent disguise, we risk forgetting what lies beneath. The professional mask can become a prison of overachievement, the social mask a shield against intimacy, the confident mask a wall that hides our doubts and pain. Over time, such masks can create distance between our lived self and our true inner life. We cannot allow the mask to be mistaken for the whole self as it can estrange us from the depths of the psyche. Jung warned that an over-identification with the persona leaves the shadow disowned and the soul impoverished. What was once a helpful mask becomes a suffocating disguise.
Maskenfreiheit invites us to consider how wearing a mask can offer both liberation and limitation. The key lies in awareness: to use masks as conscious tools rather than unconscious armour. When chosen intentionally, masks can reveal more than they conceal, giving us the freedom to express, explore, and protect. When clung to rigidly, they can stifle growth. True freedom comes in knowing when to wear the mask, and when to set it aside.
Maskenfreiheit invites us to consider that our masks are not the totality of who we are.
Lx
Image via Emily Mack Art
