Mask#
Summary#
Nietzsche develops the mask as a philosophical necessity: “Everything profound loves the mask,” and around every profound spirit a mask continually grows through the superficial interpretation of others. The mask serves multiple purposes: it protects the shame of depth, conceals goodness as much as deceit, and shields the sufferer from unwanted sympathy. Those who have suffered deeply employ masks of gaiety, scientificness, or even folly to be deliberately misunderstood. For the recluse philosopher, every word becomes a mask, every philosophy conceals another philosophy, and apparent stopping points in thought are themselves disguises for deeper caves beneath.