--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Interestingly, the word 'person' did not…" description: "\"“Interestingly, the word 'person' did not originally refer to the individual in the way we tend to use it today. Instead, 'person' came, via french, fr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/286/nick-haslam-164929_identity_interestingly-the-word-person-did-not-or_135551.jpg" --- # Interestingly, the word 'person' did not originally refer… ![“Interestingly, the word 'person' did not originally refer to the individual in the way we tend to use it today. Instead, 'person' came, via french, from the Latin word 'persona', which referred to the mask worn by tan actor to protray a particular character. In this theatrical sense, personality…” quote by Nick Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/286/nick-haslam-164929_identity_interestingly-the-word-person-did-not-or_135551.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/286/nick-haslam-164929_identity_interestingly-the-word-person-did-not-or_135551.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/286/nick-haslam-164929_identity_interestingly-the-word-person-did-not-or_135551.jpg) > ““Interestingly, the word 'person' did not originally refer to the individual in the way we tend to use it today. Instead, 'person' came, via french, from the Latin word 'persona', which referred to the mask worn by tan actor to protray a particular character. In this theatrical sense, personality has to do with the role or character that the person plays in life's drama. The person's individuality, in this sense, is a matter of the roles or characters that he or she assumes.”” [Nick Haslam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-haslam/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The word "person" originated from a theatrical mask, linking identity to roles we play. **In simple terms:** Identity is role‑based like masks. Key Takeaway Recognize the roles shaping you. Themes identity language theatre philosophy personality Mood reflective analytical Type identity:1 persona:1 personality:1 character person:0 person individuality:0 persona referred:0 word persona:0 When to use this quote - acting - self‑reflection - writing Key Concepts etymology role theory social construct Questions to Reflect On - What masks do you wear daily? - How does language shape identity? A Different Perspective Roles may limit authentic self. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-person/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Person Individuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-individuality-1131147/) [Persona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persona/) [Persona Referred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persona-referred-1543907/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Word Persona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/word-persona-1543908/) ## Related quotes > [I've been working as an actress since I was very young, and I know a lot of people who are actors who don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-ve-been-working-as-an-actress-since-i-was-very-young-and-i-know-a/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [“People say, "I have heart disease," not "I am heart disease." Somehow the presumption of a person's individuality is not compromised by those diagnostic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-manning/people-say-i-have-heart-disease-not-i-am-heart-disease-somehow-the/) [Martha Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-manning/) > [I'm not a persona, and I'm not a character. I'm always the same person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willam-belli/i-m-not-a-persona-and-i-m-not-a-character-i-m-always-the-same-person/) [Willam Belli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willam-belli/) > [“A man's work reveals him. In social intercourse he gives you the surface that he wishes the world to accept, but in his book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-s-work-reveals-him-in-social-intercourse-he-gives-you-the/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [The people who know the sort of personality or persona that I give across more on Twitter just realize that I'm just being messy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-roy/the-people-who-know-the-sort-of-personality-or-persona-that-i-give/) [Jason Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-roy/) > [Having an avatar doesn't give you an identity, and having a persona online doesn't make you a personality either.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-manson/having-an-avatar-doesn-t-give-you-an-identity-and-having-a-persona/) [Marilyn Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-manson/) > [“Your judgments about another person say more about your own character than the character of the person you are pointing a finger at. 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The building is stronger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anuj-somany/the-character-of-a-person-is-like-a-foundation-and-his-reputation-is/) [Anuj Somany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anuj-somany/) > [Wild Bill was a strange character. In person he was about six feet and one inch in height. He was a Plains-man in every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buffalo-bill/wild-bill-was-a-strange-character-in-person-he-was-about-six-feet-and/) [Buffalo Bill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buffalo-bill/) > [Friendship requires a steady, constant, and unchangeable character, a person that is uniform in his intimacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plutarch/friendship-requires-a-steady-constant-and-unchangeable-character-a/) [Plutarch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plutarch/) > [It is easy to know when a government wishes for peace by observing the character of the person sent to negotiate for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/it-is-easy-to-know-when-a-government-wishes-for-peace-by-observing/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“The White House is a character crucible," according to Bertram S. Brown, M.D., a psychiatrist who formerly headed the National Institute of Mental Health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-kessler/the-white-house-is-a-character-crucible-according-to-bertram-s-brown/) [Ronald Kessler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-kessler/) > [Our true character is that person we become when no one is watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/our-true-character-is-that-person-we-become-when-no-one-is-watching/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) ## More Identity quotes > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [You have expressive nationalism, I mean very identity driven, which shaped each other a lot of that in the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/you-have-expressive-nationalism-i-mean-very-identity-driven-which/) [Subrahmanyam Jaishankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think everybody, or the great majority of human beings, have this aspiration to become other: to live a different identity, at least for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/i-think-everybody-or-the-great-majority-of-human-beings-have-this/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. 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Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [“Why were there no words that spoke positively about being concerned about the self? Why was there only negative connotation in terms like "selfish",…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-dalton/why-were-there-no-words-that-spoke-positively-about-being-concerned/) [A.J. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-dalton/) [Browse all 11,949 Identity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Interestingly, the word 'person' did not originally refer to the individual in the way we tend to use it today. Instead, 'person' came, via french, from the Latin word 'persona', which referred to the mask worn by tan actor to protray a particular character. In this theatrical sense, personality has to do with the role or character that the person plays in life's drama. 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