Everyone brings a delicious piece of the pie here to the discussion. (can't get enough pie during the holidays!) I love the idea of the collective self image and know it is an important one, directly related to our own internal self-image. I have been asking myself how, in the past few days of celebration with friends and family. I think that individually, we express ourselves in art, science and economies. Conversely (or sometimes paradoxically,) we find ourselves influenced by what is manifest in culture, technology/industry, politics. As I examine my own internal workings, I think that there may be a disconnect of self image (individual and collective) if I identify (find my identity in) culture, politics etc., instead of knowing myself through my relationship with these "things." Allowing the objective world to dictate self image leaves me feeling separate and wanting.
Why worry about what others think, do, say? Why feel the need to conform to trends, ideologies, etc.? If I think instead about my relationship to them, (how do they serve my day to day life, when I am in service to them am I feeling my highest potential, in what ways do I benefit and contribute, what do they show me about myself, can I feel the love?) I can let go of what is limited and unchangeable. I think most of all, Gruff, about you, and how the world has let you down. Your relationship to all that is so much more important than anything that was said and done. You are MORE than any of that...and there can be a relationship that includes forgiveness, compassion and self determination. I truly believe that the state of mind we are in when we leave this world is what carries us into what is next. If we can find our way to self love, peace and harmony in our final moment ... we may just find that the rest of what the world offered us in this life falls away from our next experience. I think that as our self-image improves and changes and our relationship to the collective image improves and changes, we are hooked into our limitless nature. Those parts of ourselves that have us seeing ourselves as separate from everyone, better or worse, angry or resentful - define the limits of our self-image. On Jan 2, 10:02 am, Slip Disc <[email protected]> wrote: > Never stated that it was "only" in respect to environment but that > environment is increasingly having a greater impact on the formation > of self image. The constant is the internal self image which does not > have to be revealed to others. The image of the exterior can be > manipulated and enhanced to create a facade. The internal self image > has two parts, one that is the truth image, unchangeable as in you are > who you are and the other can be what you think you are regardless of > it's truth value, denial or wishful thinking. The intenal self image > is not fixed, see my first post in thread. > > On Jan 2, 3:27 am, Vamadevananda <[email protected]> wrote: > > > 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
