The mask of the common business person

Munich business consultant and psychologist, Dirk Appel, reminded me of the fact that the English word “person” (German “Person”, Italian “Persona” and so on) is based on the Latin word “persona” which meant “mask”. Etymologically, it roots in “per sonare”, an expression for the voice of an actor sounding through a mask. From Appel’s point of view, today managers are mostly paid for playing a role. The “person” they appear to be is modeled to comply with certain expectations from the business world. It is seldom congruent with what could be called their inner self. So don’t say too easily that you never wear a mask.

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