I often wonder who the girl is whose face I examine every morning in the large mirror hanging above my desk. In some ways I do feel as if I know her, but only on a superficial level: the same way we think we know the actors in our favourite soap operas. We may know every explicit detail of the lives of the characters, but the true personality of the actor themselves is a huge mystery which we have little or no hope of ever solving.A mirror’s sole purpose is to reflect. In my case, though, mirrors seem to reflect my persona rather than my personality. This, thankfully, indicates that the mirror sees only what the rest of the world does; exactly what I want to be seen.The mirror in question in large, clear, and attractively decorated, signifying its importance in my life. This is not to say that most of my spare time is spent gazing lovingly into it, rather that it is with the help of my mirror that I adopt my outward persona every morning.
While standing in front of it I transform myself from the plain, boring nobody who I fear more than anyone else in the world to the outgoing, bubbly, mature creature I wish I really was. For me, putting on my make-up is not the simple task my friends seem to regard it as; it is the carefully perfected art or creating my disguise.It is only when I am wearing this disguise that I feel I am a ‘normal’ person, that I fit in with the rest of our critical society. On the rare occasions when I have not adopted my disguise (only when I am in no danger of meeting any acquaintances) I become like a ‘Magic Eye’ picture; you have to look really hard in order to see the complete image.The reason I am so unwilling to remove my mask in public is that, to be quite honest, I am terrified of what is underneath. As a result of my creating this mask, I have never acquainted myself with my thoughtful, emotional, sensitive character traits which I try so desperately to conceal. I am not sure whether I like that girl very much, and I am too busy trying to hide her to have the time to find out.I have not always been divided like this. When I was younger I somehow managed to let all the aspects of my character show, resulting in a fairly even mix of the side of me which I hate and the side I promote.
Our identities are constantly evolving throughout our lives to adapt to certain people and environments. Lars Fr. H. Svendsen states “Self-identity is inextricably bound up with the identity of the surroundings” One’s morals and characteristics are forever changing and these self resolutions are influenced by the encompassing aspects of life such as significant events, environmental revolutions and one’s relationship with another. Due to factors sometimes beyond our control, one’s self prowess is merely an expression of their own prior experiences which conclusively preserve and maintain a state of fluctuation for one’s character. A similar concept is evident in the film ‘The Sapphires’
On the other hand, when I am outside of the classroom, I become this whole different person and start to talk more. I feel that I have gotten use to being quiet in the classroom and conformed to putting on my mask everyday that it is hard for me to not wear the mask in class because if I do not wear it, I feel that I am loosing a part of who I am. All in all, this shows how when we are not seeking approval, we are able to take off our masks and our “self-presentations [becomes] much different in character” (Gergen
Ronald Takaki is one of the foremost-recognized scholars of multicultural studies and holds a PhD. in American History from the University of California, Berkeley. As a professor of Ethnic Studies at the same university, he wrote A Different Mirror: a History of Multicultural America as a fantastic new telling of our nation’s history. The book narrates the composition of the many different people of the United States of America.
In the real life, it is hard to judge our personal identity: we are aware of who we are every second and minute, we also are able to check our appearance that we have known since we were born from looking at mirror. We know “I am myself” all the time.
Masks are a way an individual expresses themselves with various types of people. We are given different occasions and have to act a certain way to do so. Gergen states that the cause of having a mask is “When an individual seeks approval from this diverse range of personalities,he or she adopts a wholly different mask or public identities.” (197) Each person has a different personality when they are with certain people, based on actions and reactions. For instance, when having a guest visiting for the first time, we tend to look our best and choose the best way to make them feel welcome. We tend to hide things that don 't seem “appropriate” and take out things that seem new. We probably don’t notice, but we create a mask based on appearance since we are hiding the reality based on their first
Sure, some of us have this great confidence within ourselves about looking great, but that does not hold true for everyone. I understand the pain or disgust, or even disappointment one feels when they look in the mirror and say, “I wish I could change this or that about myself”. Although this piece is written about the author’s life, it holds meaning and connects with for many people; one only has to dig deep enough to find one. For me, it was to realize what is important in life can change, adapt and that we must explore our inner selves and find our own path in life.
In the article “In Defense of Masks” by Kenneth Gergen, he claims that instead of developing “a coherent sense of identity”, people put on different “masks” that he constantly changes. Gergen believes that an individual’s development of a coherent sense of identity can make him “experience severe emotional distress”. People tend to act a certain way so they can receive the approval of others. The approval of others can bring satisfaction and enhance the self-esteem of a person but to succeed in this he must adopt different public identities. Moreover, in some cases individuals consciously wear various masks because of the situation they’re found in.
When attending a masquerade, a person is expected to wear a mask. In fact, it’s looked down upon if a mask isn’t worn. But, what if for some people that mask never came off? In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, each character has constructed their own metaphorical mask that they set firmly in place every morning when exiting their bed. Each character: Nora, Torvald, Kristine and Krogstad all have masks that they put in place when speaking to each other. Throughout most of the play, it is clear that all of the aforementioned characters have multiple facades that they use when speaking to one another; often switching quickly as they begin speaking to someone else. Henrik Ibsen’s use of the masquerade serves as an extended metaphor to show the masks that the characters use in their everyday lives.
Every time I look into a mirror I check my hair, maybe inspect my teeth to see if I do not have food wedged up my tooth I would not want people to observe as I smile. That is pretty much the reason I use a mirror. Oh wait, I also utilize one as I shave. That is it. I did not believe there could be a more profound way of looking at ones reflection. Henry Miller’s The Tropic Of Capricorn changed my view of who I was actually looking at. Imagine reading something so powerful it made you question the meaning on why you and specifically you were given life on this earth and why you were given the specific life you are living and what will eventually turn out to be your legacy? If I have your head spinning I apologize but that was the same reaction
Mirrors, traditionally used for seeing a reflection, usually of someone’s true outer self. In Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Speak, Melinda Sordino does not want to see herself. After Melinda was raped at a high school party by Andy Evans, she becomes severely depressed and unable to speak. In this novel, mirrors symbolize how Melinda despises her appearance, and show how she is unable to accept her own reflection after she was raped.
In his work, Goffman explains that ‘the self’ is the result of the dramatic interaction between the actor and the audience he or she performs to. There are many aspects of how an individual performs his or her ‘self’. One of the aspects of performing the self that Goffman labels as the ‘front.’ The front involves managing the individual’s impression.
How we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us. Throughout the interview I knew that the way I interacted within the group would determine whether or not I would be able to study as a student nurse. Subsequently, I wanted to appear socially desirable. Therefore, I believe there was a distortion of self-image because the interview was very important to me. Using Goffman 's theory of self (1959), the 'social mask ' I put on during the interview, could be seen as 'performance ', '...the term ‘performance’ refers to all activity of an individual in front of a particular set of observers, or audience... ' , I wasn 't my: bubbly, hyper self, I felt I had to keep this hidden as I was in a professional environment. Therefore, Johari 's window demonstrates mundane realism, because my self-image did change. My bubbly, hyper personality which is usually 'open/public ' was now 'Hidden/private '. However, Johari 's window see 's self-awareness constructed by the individual alone, which makes the theory over –simplified and not interactionist as it only considers 'nurture ' factors impacting on an individual’s self-awareness, when in reality it’s a combination of biological/genetic and social factors (nature nurture). Therefore the theory is reductionist as it over simplifies human behaviour. Although Johari 's window doesn 't give a holistic reflection for my own self-awareness and communication, the fact I can identify this as a result of using Gibb’s model means that I have a rounded analysis of my interviewing
In this comic strip by Matt Groening, the main character, Bongo, is being picked on by another character that is telling him "that everyone in the world hates your guts." Generally, most individuals perceive their selves as being "better than average." We are familiar with our own talents, thoughts, feelings, and emotions more so than anybody else's. This leads to a self-serving bias. In the comic, Bongo reassures himself of his "greatness" until he looks in the mirror. The mirror causes Bongo to be more self-aware of his uncertainty. I chose this particular comic not only because it illistrates the self-serving bias, but also because of the way it incorporates the mirror and Bongo's self-awareness.
Image can also be presented in ways other than how a person looks. For example, many people who lose their jobs still strive to preserve their dignity by picking themselves up through tough times, wanting to portray a image of perseverance and determination. This shows that one’s image can be portrayed through one’s actions and character, not appearances alone. Thus, it can be argued that appearances may not be everything.
The way we view ourselves as individuals can shape how we handle certain situations in our lives. “For instance, individuals tend to globally overvalue their positive traits, considering themselves more attractive than the average person (Horton, 2003), and as more attractive than others see them”. (Epley & Whitchurch, 2008)” (Re & Rule, 2016). Meaning most individuals tend to think highly of themselves and focus on their definite “positive traits” more than anything else. By focusing on these traits it is easier for one to only see the characteristics that tend to make them look better to themselves. A person’s outlook on how they perceive themselves can either ignite positive or negative feelings, and depending on the situation and experiences