What Norma Jean Baker Teaches Us About Marilyn Monroe and the Danger of Persona
The Netflix premier of ‘Blonde’ has stirred curiousness around the persona Marilyn Monroe and the woman behind her Norma Jean Baker.
This well done, dramtised, and insightful depiction of her life shows how Monroe rose to fame – becoming an icon and sex symbol while forging a successful Hollywood acting career. Monroe captured eyes globally yet, Norma Jean seemed to go unseen. The more limelight Marilyn got the greater the shadow became for Norma. This tragic story is a reminder of the importance of managing how our persona (representative) shows up and that we allow our true-self to be seen, to connect, and have symbiotic love. To cultivate said bonds can require transparency and intimacy which comes with vulnerability. Our ‘insurance’ strategy could be developing our resilience; in effort to be able to recover should some relationships not be a lifelong. Also, taking time to connect, know, and love ourselves. The starting point on a self-knowing and self-loving journey could be journaling, self-reflecting, and holding up any core beliefs under the light for scrutiny that don’t serve you. An example of this could be “I am not lovable” which Baker may have internalised (following her mother and later care givers abandoning her). The truth is she was always lovable and worthy of love and so are you. One’s parents not being able to love, nurturer and care for their child in the way the child needs, is merely a reflection of their own deficits, not the child’s. We are all born to be love, belong, and connect.
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