Molly, you didn't give me the numbers to the Keyless Entry and so I am stuck on the outside because I couldn't get in.
On Jan 2, 10:04 am, Molly Brogan <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 - > > ... > > read more » --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
