Essence and Personality
- smcculley
- Nov 30, 2023
- 2 min read
Essence and Personality
Essence is what we are when we’re born. Nothing can be changed. Body type, center of gravity, chief feature among others. Each essence has its own preferences, proclivities and tendencies. Personality are the preferences, proclivities and habits that we mechanically acquire. No effort needed at this point for essence or personality.
The image of Bellona by Rembrandt is an exact illustration of the conscious development of essence. Her clear-eyed, emotionally intelligent and cheerful visage, contrasts with the false values, attitudes and opinions of personality, personified by the screaming and excruciated image on her shield.
In fact, more than the representation of both of these aspects of an individual, this is also an illustration of how personality shields a developed essence. When we encounter an impression, person or experience we don’t like, personality buffers the experience. Again, look at the face on the shield of Bellona and this is sometimes more and sometimes less how we react. However, with the conscious development of essence, a new or true personality is also created, and modified by a now educated essence - a personality that can offer more than like or dislike. With essence now being able to discern with scale and relativity, this true personality can express essence’s relationship to externals with less judgement, fear or whatever chief feature of an undeveloped essence is born with.
The only way to consciously develop one’s essence is through self-remembering and transforming suffering, and for these a school is necessary. Only with guidance from a teacher, assistance from as well as helping other students, and maintaining three lines of work, is conscious development possible.
Now understand me well. It is provided in the essence of things that from any fruition of success, no matter what, shall come forth something to make a greater struggle necessary. ~ Walt Whitman
Post by Charles R.
Image: Bellona, Rembrandt 1633, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
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