Self-image has fallen apart big style of late. Our reaction appears to be that of putting Humpty-Dumpty back together again, using the resources (all the King's horses and all the King's men) that failed to do so in the past. The techniques of self are all around us. Chronic market segmentation advertising and all sorts of quasi- governmental Doublespeak. The idea is to produce docile bodies and governmentality. What of truth in self development? What of the creativity of the liars' tales in which our self is spun? What of the repeated Machiavellian rebirths of our "management fashions"? I would sense that Molly has something here about greater truth following a collapse of world-view, but what are we to take as truth and does one want to take truth at a moment of collapse? Great narratives have been shown, repeatedly to be mythical and we are supposed to stand in incredulity towards them. What might an acceptable metanarrative for rebirth be? What evidential-basing criteria would we use? How might we withstand attempts to rebirth us as merely a smiling brotherhood of shiny success at the expense of others or as learners of the litany of new management that is merely the old management with new hymns? We should try to structure new communities - self has social context. I'm a believer in Molly's positive messages, but believers can be doubting thomases. Political rhetoric has hardly changed at all in the last 40 years, and neither has literature on "self-improvement". There is much more to collapse than we might initially think.
On 30 Dec, 23:25, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > Self-image is the personal view we have of ourselves. It is our > mental image or self portrait. Self-image is an internal dictionary > that describes the characteristics of the self, including concepts > like intelligence, beauty, kindness, selfishness or insensitivity. > These characteristics form a collective representation of our assets > and liabilities as we see them. Relationships reinforce what we think > and feel about ourselves. Self-image is important because how we > think about ourselves directly affects how we feel about ourselves and > how we respond to life. > > How we think and feel about ourselves influences the way we react or > respond to life stressors. A hopeless self-image can lead to > suicide. Self-image possessing body strength and health can lead to > wellness. A loving self-image can lead to a life full of loving > relationships. An angry self-image can lead to a life of isolation. > A fearful self-image can lead to a life of suffering. In these ways, > self-image can determine the quality of our relationships with others. > > How we imagine ourselves to be can be different from how we witness > ourselves to be, but ultimately the two will become the same if our > desire to be as we imagine is unwavering. Depending on the beliefs we > gather throughout our life, our self-image can bring us success and > happiness, or, on the other hand, failure and misery. But this image > can change, if we start questioning our beliefs about our selves and > our lives. When our belief system falls apart, we are ready to > receive a greater truth, and resurrect belief, born anew with > possibility. > > What do YOU think? --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
