Symbolism of the mask? Is it the same as the persona?

Igor says that the mask and the persona entity, are one and the same. That the persona is the mask, and the mask is the persona, and that the purpose of the persona\mask is to overcome hardships in life or "worldly matters"

Here is the quote of Igor.: "You will be training the power of Persona, which you have awakened to. Personas are, in other words, a "mask"—an armor of the heart when confronting worldly matters."

What i'm trying to ask is this, if the mask is indeed the persona, then why we need to remove it from our faces in order to summon it?

let me clarify a bit more - If the persona is our way of confronting society in diffrent situations, does that mean the persona is our true self even? and if it really is, then why take off the mask which is the same as the persona according to Igor?

was trying to figue it out in my head but...it's a bit contradicts with what arsene said, that he is the true self of joker, his will of rebellion.

Thanks.