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A far-too-common archetype that i have observed frequently in people as they converse with another is one in which an individual uses two layers of defense to protect an otherwise unexamined confusion or emptiness. This relates to a defense of the ego and does not apply to all situations involving anything discussed.
First posturing:
-A mask (or wall) of mockery is sustained in which the defensive individual behaves flippantly as if in jest. This positioning is a way to be aloof from the situation, using incredulity and belittlement to keep a person or their ideas away from the defensive individual.
Second posturing:
-A mask (or wall) of rage is revealed after a certain level of perceived threat is achieved internally. This positioning is usually the one the defensive individual maintains when they have given up the argument or the introspection. Not risking an ontological or existential crisis, the defensive individual lashes out with anger, often accusatorily in manner, potentially belittling others further or just plain rushing away in a huff. This is usually the end of the engagement.
Third posturing:
-The masks (or walls) both come off, leaving the defensive individual to examine the thoughts or behaviors involved in the situation more critically. The defensive individual may find themselves feeling deeply uncomfortable, sad, uneasy, lost, or confused. This position leads to introspection and to a genuine openness, which is not something that the defensive individual had been prepared for. They may find that they were incorrect, only partially correct, or that the perceived rightness of their idea/behavior now has an expanded context, all of which may seem frightening. Individuals may become mentally paralyzed at this point. It takes a strength and an honesty to reflect in this position, which is not something that everyone expressing this archetype will be capable of doing.
(Based on my professional insights as: a cashier, as a member of various technical support staffs, as an occasional minister, and as a peer counselor. Also based on my casual and repeated interactions with both strangers and with more intimately known persons over the course of my lifetime. Observations are my own.)
(**Edit: Please note again that I am not referring to a general or genuine emotional experience. This bi-layered coping behavior is a way for someone to prevent themselves from having a more genuine emotional experience, hence the last panel.)
First posturing:
-A mask (or wall) of mockery is sustained in which the defensive individual behaves flippantly as if in jest. This positioning is a way to be aloof from the situation, using incredulity and belittlement to keep a person or their ideas away from the defensive individual.
Second posturing:
-A mask (or wall) of rage is revealed after a certain level of perceived threat is achieved internally. This positioning is usually the one the defensive individual maintains when they have given up the argument or the introspection. Not risking an ontological or existential crisis, the defensive individual lashes out with anger, often accusatorily in manner, potentially belittling others further or just plain rushing away in a huff. This is usually the end of the engagement.
Third posturing:
-The masks (or walls) both come off, leaving the defensive individual to examine the thoughts or behaviors involved in the situation more critically. The defensive individual may find themselves feeling deeply uncomfortable, sad, uneasy, lost, or confused. This position leads to introspection and to a genuine openness, which is not something that the defensive individual had been prepared for. They may find that they were incorrect, only partially correct, or that the perceived rightness of their idea/behavior now has an expanded context, all of which may seem frightening. Individuals may become mentally paralyzed at this point. It takes a strength and an honesty to reflect in this position, which is not something that everyone expressing this archetype will be capable of doing.
(Based on my professional insights as: a cashier, as a member of various technical support staffs, as an occasional minister, and as a peer counselor. Also based on my casual and repeated interactions with both strangers and with more intimately known persons over the course of my lifetime. Observations are my own.)
(**Edit: Please note again that I am not referring to a general or genuine emotional experience. This bi-layered coping behavior is a way for someone to prevent themselves from having a more genuine emotional experience, hence the last panel.)
Category Artwork (Traditional) / Miscellaneous
Species Human
Size 2193 x 1680px
File Size 1.12 MB
I don't believe it is layers.
It's more like a council in our head.
As such, I find the complexity of emotion and our internal landscape to be that we can hold conflicting stances with perfect honesty.
Rage is a necessary component for what I believe to be a core component of life, hunger.
Not just physical hunger, but that as well.
But I'm not one to believe internal peace is necessarily the ideal state.
It's more like a council in our head.
As such, I find the complexity of emotion and our internal landscape to be that we can hold conflicting stances with perfect honesty.
Rage is a necessary component for what I believe to be a core component of life, hunger.
Not just physical hunger, but that as well.
But I'm not one to believe internal peace is necessarily the ideal state.
I appreciate your feedback, and I agree that people can experience conflicting and complex sentiments.
That said, I've illustrated a very particular set of coping phenomenon that I've observed in others throughout the course of my career and throughout my lifetime.
As i mentioned in the description, the observable phenomenon I've illustrated doesn't apply to all instances of pretentious joy, mockery, anger, or confusion. The piece isn't necessarily even about emotional experiences but is more about this specific set of coping mechanisms that involve these particular emotional fronts.
The sentiments themselves are just behavioral fronts utilized by someone in order to create distance towards themselves and towards other people. In this instance, mockery (false joy) and rage are just tools used by someone to shut down reflection and introspection.
That said, I've illustrated a very particular set of coping phenomenon that I've observed in others throughout the course of my career and throughout my lifetime.
As i mentioned in the description, the observable phenomenon I've illustrated doesn't apply to all instances of pretentious joy, mockery, anger, or confusion. The piece isn't necessarily even about emotional experiences but is more about this specific set of coping mechanisms that involve these particular emotional fronts.
The sentiments themselves are just behavioral fronts utilized by someone in order to create distance towards themselves and towards other people. In this instance, mockery (false joy) and rage are just tools used by someone to shut down reflection and introspection.
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