Faith Consolo is an extreme example of D.W. Winnicott’s concept of the “False Self.” Winnicott says that in health, our public self is a False Self. All the polite and mannered social behaviors we display hide and protect the True Self which is known to close friends and family. In a more extreme form, the False Self defends against the True Self which may not be fully known by anyone else. The purpose is to preserve the individual in spite of abnormal environmental conditions.
