Early on, it was revealed that the themes of Map of the Soul: Persona are grounded in Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung's theories of psychology , "persona" being an archetype of the human mind that deals with who we present ourselves to the world. With their introspective Love Yourself trilogy , BTS explored the joys and difficulties of learning self-acceptance. Now, they’re looking outward, trying to make sense of the world around them and their place in it. Intro: Persona has leader RM rapping over a sample of BTS' 2014 song "Intro: Skool Luv Affair ," “So I’m asking once again, who the hell am I?” and acknowledging that as an artist in the public eye, he’s conflicted in his public image. "The 'me' that I want myself to be/ The 'me' that people want me to be/ The 'me' that you love/ And the 'me' that I create/ The 'me' that's smiling/ The 'me' that's sometimes in tears/[...] Persona,” spits RM in the final verse.