Member-only story
Is the Actor the Character?
A Follow-up to “The Myth of Me”
A month or so ago, I wrote a piece on ego, identity, and self-reflection.
“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players,”
-William Shakespeare, As You Like It
[Non-members can click here to read this piece for free!]
People talk about “separating the art from the artist” (particularly following a celebrity getting outed for some unsavory behavior) but nobody really considers separating the action from the actor as it applies to the proverbial world stage.
And why should we?
When the cameras turn off on the set of a movie or TV production, everyone can hug, congratulate each other on lines well-delivered, and hit the craft services table.
When you’re traumatized by someone interpersonally, it’s no small feat to be able to reconcile and look past who they’ve been in your life — especially if they appear to be having a good deal of pleasure at your expense.
However, instead of focusing on this, whether true or not, I would encourage letting go, practicing radical acceptance, inward reflection…
