Dr. Jekyll: Where are you Mr. Hyde?

It must be nearly ten yrs since I read the book “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert L.Stevenson. At that time I did find the book interesting though not fascinating. Well you can’t blame a 11 yr old who was into Nancy Drew’s And Hardy Boy’s then to appreciate such a magnum opus. Of late have been thinking abt this and realized that there is a Jekyll and Hyde in everyone of us. No I am not going to allude the “evil” part of humans as Hyde and the “good” part as “Jekyll” simply because I don’t believe in it. Evil and Good are simply a matter of perspective and circumstances. There are no absolute tangibles to describe them and are relative. Well be that as it may coming to Jekyll and Hyde part my definition of them is thus,
Jekyll: The serious side of man
Hyde: the jovial happy-go-lucky side of man

I think most of us commit the fallacy of dismissing a person as “serious” and “lightheaded” prematurely without giving the other person an opportunity to explain themselves or observe them in different surroundings.. It is a very common phenomenon and the problem is at a given time only one of the personalities is dominant in a person. I have tried (unsuccessfully) to do the balancing act and have fallen between the two stools once too often. So what defines me the best? Jekyll or Hyde? Frankly I don’t know the answer to that myself. Many of them would be surprised that one or the other exist in me at all! (ignoring the fact that many will be surprised I have a personality at all :P) Have wondered whether it’s a conscious decision which makes a particular personality (here Hyde or Jekyll) dominant. I think it has got to do more with the first impressions…*if* I had portrayed the Jekyll side of me first that is the one which takes dominance in my subsequent interactions with the aforementioned person and Mr. Hyde just doesn’t have a chance cos’ the other person is not willing to accept you! Ppl claim I am trying to be something which I am not and ask me to be “normal”! I will be at a loss of words to explain to them cos’ partly have no idea what to say myself. Then there is the drawback of exposing the Hyde side of you first. One cannot indulge in serious discussions that easily and you have to continue playing the part. This might seem like I am very “confused” chap regarding what I exactly am but of what I have seen this is something which almost everyone goes thro’ either consciously or subconsciously.
Also a lot depends on the person whom you are confabulating with. Guess the first impression one has of the person also plays quite a role in making a particular personality dominant. So next time you see a “funny” or “serious” person think again…a lot depends on how you portray yourself to them too ;) After all communication is a two way thing….and to end up I would like to quote Carl Sagan though a bit out of context..
“ Absence of Evidence does not mean Evidence of Absence! “