WHAT YOU SEE IS NOT WHAT YOU GETA corollary of the Janus Factor is that the more secure the
person is in the corporate structure, the less difference there is
between the two faces and the two subtexts. The president of
Jake's company seems to have only one face, but of course no
one at work sees the face he presents to his wife and children.
The Janus factor is best observed in industry, but it also applies
to politics. In the Watergate affair, the nation saw one face of
President Nixon and received one subtext—a calm, rational man
in control. The secret tapes disclosed a completely different face—
vulgar and out of control. Were the two faces one man? Certainly.
It was the Janus Factor in action.
Of course, just about every president has two faces. President
Bush, when he was vice president, wore a subservient face. Now,
as top dog, he makes it plain that no one is telling him what to do.WEARING THE MASK
What is important about the Janus Factor in business, in politics,
and even in the family is learning when and how to mask, to
cover up your real emotions and the subtexts they send out. Politi-
cians must learn this lesson early on. Edmund Muskie was destroyed
as a possible presidential candidate by crying in public, letting
the mask drop. On the other hand, when television evangelist
Tammy Faye Bakker cried openly, she was using tears as a mask.
Doctors must learn to mask in front of patients; lawyers must
wear a mask in court. The higher you climb on the corporate
ladder, the more important the mask becomes. The simplest mask
is the noncommittal look, the expressionless face. But expression
itself is a much better masking device.