▁texts ▁suggest , ▁by ▁being ▁hab itu ated ▁to ▁a ▁role , ▁the ▁role ▁is ▁internal ized ▁by ▁individuals , ▁and ▁becomes ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁person ality : ▁they ▁become ▁the ▁thing ▁that ▁they ▁acted ▁out . ▁ ▁Ali en ation ▁The ▁fifth ▁step ▁in ▁the ▁argument ▁is ▁that ▁on ▁the ▁world ' s ▁stage , ▁the ▁" d ance ▁of ▁mask ed ▁people , ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁things ▁they ▁have ▁end owed ▁with ▁an ▁independent ▁power ▁to ▁act ▁and ▁relate " ▁leads ▁to ▁per vas ive ▁human ▁al ien ation ▁( the ▁est r ang ement ▁of ▁people ▁from ▁themselves , ▁and ▁from ▁others ▁in ▁contacts ▁which ▁have ▁become ▁imp erson al ▁and ▁functional ). ▁It ▁dur ably ▁dist ort s ▁human ▁conscious ness ▁at ▁the ▁very ▁least , ▁and ▁at ▁worst ▁it ▁completely ▁de forms ▁human ▁conscious ness . ▁It ▁myst ifies ▁the ▁real ▁nature , ▁and ▁the ▁real ▁relationships , ▁among ▁people ▁and ▁things ▁– ▁even ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁where ▁they ▁can ▁hardly ▁be ▁conce ived ▁anymore ▁as ▁they ▁really ▁are . ▁ ▁The ▁mask s ▁influence ▁the ▁very ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁real ities ▁are ▁categor ized . ▁People ' s ▁the or izing ▁about ▁the ▁world ▁also ▁becomes ▁det ached ▁from ▁the ▁relevant ▁context s , ▁and ▁the ▁interpretation ▁of ▁reality ▁then ▁involves ▁multiple ▁" layers " ▁of ▁mean ings , ▁in ▁which ▁" part ▁of ▁the ▁story " ▁h ides ▁the ▁" who le ▁story ". ▁What ▁the ▁whole ▁story ▁is , ▁may ▁itself ▁become ▁an ▁almost ▁im