SD, self - image is not only in respect of the environment. It is a constant. We cannot avoid having and living with one, wherever and whenever. The rest follows : whether in truth or in fantasy, manipulative or manipulated !
On Jan 2, 1:04 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > I agree wholly as the parental influence is greatly overlooked as > being a integral part of the image formation. I know my parents could > never understand the philosophy of self image and the influence, or > lack of, they had upon it. Only mom is left anyway and she doesn't > really know what day it is. But on track, it could only be the > discovery of this tidbit of information that could lead a person down > the path of self image realization and modification based upon true > self awareness. I feel a strong correlation between this thread and > the Golden Shadow thread (another Molly wonder). We cannot change the > outward projection without recognizing what lies in the shadow. This > recognition allows us to weed out that which we know is not our true > being and without it we continue to waver in the sea of > possibilities. > Personally I feel self image coincides with and is pertinent to the > life that we are living at the time. Our age, environment, > circumstances all contribute to our self image. There may have been > times where self image mattered not but new environs awaken the need > to (re)establish our self image. ie: The image of a playboy doesn't > cut it in the nursing home, nor does the image of a sultry sex > kitten. The complexity increases as we further delve into the > perspectives of self image. It seems to me that self image must > change with time and the parameters of life changes. For those who > live their lives from birth to death in the same house, the same town > with unchanging environs have little to no need to examine self image > for it fits comfortably within their life circumstance. Those whose > live change often must often change their self image. > > On Jan 1, 10:31 am, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Lon, Archy, I can confidently vouch for your proposition that we never > > fully comprehend ourselves and for everyone else's points about self > > image as well. Molly, as usual you have come up with another > > pertinent observation about the human condition and started one more > > excellent discourse. > > > As a living example of the effects self-image can have on one's own > > life as well as on the lives of those whom I interact, I am also of an > > age where I can be more honest about myself then heretofore permitted, > > and I have to say that I'm sorely disappointed with the entire dynamic > > of self-image -- not with it's reality but rather with how it has > > played itself out in my own particular instance. > > > Such dangerous tools should be kept out of the hands of those ill- > > equipped to play with them. The complete genesis of self image may be > > mostly hidden but I'd be willing to bet a large sum a vast majority of > > it has to do with family, particularly ones' parents and siblings. > > > Self image may in some ways rely on genetics but I believe the vast > > majority of it is instilled in us during our single digit youth which, > > like marriage -- for better or worse -- we carry forward into whatever > > pathways we travel in life, trailing its detritus behind us. > > > Parts of our self image including how we feel about ourselves are > > readily apparent in our external behavior, which makes us more > > transparent to others than to ourselves until we reach that point of > > development where we can begin to look at ourselves more honestly. I > > went through most of my life knowing something was terribly wrong but > > lacked the ability to figure out what. At least till I began to > > indulge in therapy. > > > But even now, many years later, there are still deep aspects of my > > self image which are hidden from me or which I refuse to see and > > acknowledge. Perhaps long term deep psychotherapy might uncover them > > but that's an impractical approach for many reasons, not the least of > > which is the fact that I've come to distrust most psychological > > therapists. It's a profession that seems to lay a deadly trap for > > it's pratitioners. I can imagine listening to the deepest and darkest > > parts of others day after day after year after year takes its toll, > > but on the other hand some of these people are fairly twisted > > beforehand which likely led them into the profession of psychology. > > > But honestly determining your own self image is at least as daunting > > as trying to overcome the psychologically habitual behavior that stems > > from those deeply buried images. On a personal level I know some of > > the self image I learned as a child -- that I was worthless, no-good, > > evil, and would never amount to anything -- and how much that image > > played itself out over the course of my life. It was extensive and is > > still being played out. > > > Yet I also know there are parts of my self image to which I am not > > privy. They may be worse or they may be better than those I've > > uncovered but the fact they are there disturbs me because it means I > > do not have full control over my own psyche and life. I am still > > reacting to thoughts, ideas, images and beliefs that were instilled in > > me by a dysfunctional family and of which to this day I know little to > > nothing. > > > This early self image worked to prevent me from developing any > > positive feelings about myself. From as young as I can remember > > through sixty eight years to today I still reverberate those early > > images and add to them in my own prophetically self-fulfilling and > > self-perpetuating behavior which is then reinforced further by the > > reactions from others appropriate to my own self-image. > > > I long to know myself as I truly am but this still eludes me. Perhaps > > it is one of those things one learns at the end as one's life flashes > > before one's eyes -- unfortunately a bit too late to do anything about > > it. Or perhaps not. But one thing is certain -- to me at least -- as > > parents each and every one of us have a critical responsibility to > > ensure our children have a healthy image of themselves upon which to > > build. But as long as we remain dysfunctional within ourselves how > > can we teach our children different?- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
