social mask
Feigned outward self
A social mask is the persona someone presents in public—the version of themselves crafted for others' consumption rather than authentic self-expression.
The term implies a gap between how someone appears and who they really are: She dropped her social mask once the guests left.
Unlike outright deception, social masks are often unconscious adaptations to social expectations, workplace norms, or cultural pressures.
The concept appears in psychology and sociology to describe how people navigate different contexts by adjusting their presentation.
- personaAssumed public identity
- facadeDeceptive outward appearance
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- performanceCarrying out a task
- putting on a brave faceDisplaying false courage
veneer · charade · fake smile · politeness · best behavior · conformity · impression · role-playing · hidden self · artifice · composure · diplomacy · small talk · white lies · networking · fitting in · pleasantries · game face
- masks & disguisesdisguise, veil, false face, concealment, anonymity
- identitiesalter ego, gender, persona, sexuality, alias
- Impression managementself-presentation, first impression, body language, eye contact, dress code
- face conceptsvisage, expression, countenance, features, gaze
social maskauthentic self
One's genuine identity
true self · real self · authenticity · inner self · true nature
social maskvulnerability
Openness to harm
openness · transparency · self-disclosure · candor · self-revelation
social, mask, society, societal, socialize, socialization, socialism, socialist, socially