Looking at Jim Carrey on the surface will give you the impression that he’s not the person you can hear a serious thing from. However, what hides beneath his seemingly careless attitude is wisdom that needs to be heard.
Carrey is known for saying things that are meant to provoke thought and this makes some people think that he’s crazy, or far too honest. His honesty and sincerity, however, come from an understanding of oneself, such that has led Carrey out of the depression he had been battling with for a long time.
You may have heard him talking about his battle with depression, but this is something completely different – something that will definitely make you think whether you are on the verge of becoming depressed yourself.
The main philosophy behind Carrey’s explanation of why we end up with depression lies in our choice of ‘persona’ that we take on in our lives. He explains that even ‘Jim Carrey’ is only one of his personae and that the persona we take on needs to agree with who we are.
He says:
“People talk about depression all the time. The difference between depression and sadness is sadness is just from happenstance—whatever happened or didn’t happen for you, or grief, or whatever it is. Depression is your body saying f*ck you, I don’t want to be this character anymore, I don’t want to hold up this avatar that you’ve created in the world. It’s too much for me.”
So, what kind of persona have you taken on? Are you happy with who you are? Do you live being true to yourself?
Watch Carrey’s discussion below and you will understand what exactly the ‘persona’ we take in our lives has to say about us and our state of happiness.
(Ignore the title of the video, though – it has little to do with what Carrey is saying)
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.