"Aspiring managers begin early to adhere to managers' norms by developing a false self—a mask that hides their shame and their lack of knowledge of details for which they may be held responsible. The mask gives the external impression of an internal sense of authority that is most often nonexistent. Managers' meetings are usually stressful exhibitions of the enforcement of false-self norms—always a test for new managers. In these meetings, managers compete with each other in giving a believable false-self performance: each must discuss creditably what few present know anything about." (p. 103)

Each cover-up or facade makes us more unreal to ourselves. Eventually we are out of touch with some areas of ourselves." (p. 89)