True Self vs. Social Identity

As I became more conscious of my existence, I became more aware of the underlying pain that was rising to the surface. The intensity of the feeling was almost too much to bear. I persisted in my efforts, but sometimes feeling your feelings is a difficult action to undertake. It requires spiritual fortitude and a willingness to endure the psychological storms of repressed emotions. The emotions are repressed to hide the True Self, and a Surrogate Self, or what some call a social identity, is substituted in its place. The Surrogate Self establishes the individual’s identity, an identity based on career, social status, educational background, salary, etc. These societal measures of success become the I AM for a human being. The I AM is triggered when one is asked the question, “What do you do (for a living)?” You then say, “I AM a doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer, nurse, etc.” “What school did you go to?” “I went to Harvard, Yale, Duke, DePaul, UIC, etc.” The social mask of superficiality has been secured firmly over the face of authenticity. When operating in a social construct, it is not feasible for me to tell you that I am Spiritual Energy that is currently expressing itself as a human being. Although it feels right and feels like a more genuine answer, it does not fit within the construct of societal norms. It is the True Self masked behind a social identity. I prefer to peel off the layers to arrive at the essence of who you are.