|
Author
|
Topic: How often do you look at yourself (Or need to?)
|
ChristopherArcher
Knowflake Posts: 13
From: York, Yorkshire, England
Registered: Jan 2006
|
posted January 28, 2006 12:33 PM
 
Hello Again,
After the greeting earlier on I wanted to get straight into the questions and thought sharing thing with something that intrigues me........ The consciousness of ourselves. I know that the colorful road teaches that many have different idiosyncrasies and traits associated to their person and when it comes to vanity perhaps the lion and lioness are the rightful kings and queens but I wonder about vanity and the morality of it at times. For example what comes first? Feeling good within yourself and a clarification of that by seeing your own happy face in the mirror or.........Seeing yourself in the mirror and then feeling good about youself? These times seem to me to have a tremendous connection to appearance and it seems to wash through our own consciousness without a real question as to why do we need to look at ourselves so much?. Stories of mirrors in historical and philosophical sense as far as i am aware are always to do with the self realisation of self not looks or image but yet if (people) sense their true selves then why do so many have to seek the mirror or the reflection in a window so often. Birds donīt have mirrors but they look beautiful and they never second guess that or seem to need to change their look, or clarify how beautiful they look, or how they wished they looked. When you look in the mirror, why do you look, how often do you look and what are you looking for? Or is it really that looking into mirror a person sees nothing at all except what they want to see and (this is the point Iīm trying to make) WHAT THEY WANT OTHERS TO SEE? Hypothetically perhaps if a person was totally content with who they are they wouldnīt seek to see if they looked good so that they could feel good about it. So if itīs the external that motivates the internal doesnīt that say something about the modern human soul? What do you think it says? Think about it next time you look in the mirror A good thought to matter an Archer IP: Logged |
CancerianMoon
Knowflake Posts: 1082
From: Sydney, Australia. Cancer Sun.....Gemini Moon.....Aqua Rising
Registered: Aug 2003
|
posted January 28, 2006 06:42 PM
Very interesting question....for me personally...when i am feeling good...it shows..in my eyes especially but also in my appearance and probably the happier i am inside..the better i look..and the more i look in the mirror...i like to SEE myself that way...
Other times when i am extremely sad and crying i also go to the mirror..and talk to myself...yes odd i know...but sometimes we are not as kind to ourselves as we would be to our friends...i find if i go to the mirror when i am feeling this way i can tell myself things from the same perspective as i would a friend..yeh yeh..odd i know..but thats me ohh so to answer the question..how often?? at least a few times a day...sounds narcissistic?? dunno.. but i couldnt be without a mirror. IP: Logged |
SunChild
Moderator Posts: 4032
From: Australia
Registered: Jan 2004
|
posted January 29, 2006 08:12 AM
Interesting.
As a teenager, I had to have my mirror, I was obsessed with how perfect my hair and makeup was and to be honest, I enjoyed feeling pretty and getting compliments. I always made an effort each day to look into the mirror and say "you look gorgeous, you can enjoy the day now". I especially enjoyed attention from the opposite sex, I'd make sure I dolled up enough to be noticed more than other girls. Anyway I think I'm being too honest. But that was a huge part of my life, the way I looked was so important to me. As a teenager I probably looked in the mirror quite a few times in the morning, and just at night when washing my face, and doing my hair. I needed the mirror to validate my self worth, I needed to to feel good, because I thought looking beautiful meant happiness. But now, I've grown in a lot of ways, I actually have a personality now, and now I don't need to validate myself by the way I look. I guess I was a bit superficial in my teens and I had not much of a personality so I had to compensate with the way I looked. Now I'm completely different. I haven't worn make up in over 2 years, and I only look into the mirror when it's necessary, I don't go out of my way to perve on myself like I used to. I really don't. I still look in the mirror after I get dressed to see if my clothes fit right and I'm happy with what I'm wearing.
But no more than 2 times a day really, morning and night. There is an exception, sometimes if I'm really sad, or have been crying, I just look into the mirror at my own soul, not say a word, but just look at myself. Afterwards I feel much better. I can kind of relate to you Cancerian Moon. (By the way. I don't think that's odd at all.) ------------------
Your attitude determines your altitude Wonder of it All
IP: Logged |
geminstone
Knowflake Posts: 1007
From: Golden, CO
Registered: Nov 2004
|
posted January 31, 2006 02:01 AM
Oh yes, this is good to ponder... I like what you said about birds. I would say that they are very good at showing others what a mirror should reflect to self... for the most part, they are, anyway. I suppose there may be some individuals, of the bird family variety, that don't...not where I was heading though so,... It's true, in their natural environment, birds don't look at themselves in mirrors like ours but, how about those who are part of a human family? All of the encounters I've had with this scenerio, the bird's 'personal' space always included a little mirror. To see them go on about themselves always made me laugh  I'm aware that there are those who are of the opinion that this behaviour is that of an individual encountering self as if it is another individual but, I would'nt hold that opinion, myself, as truth. Has anyone ever tried to show their cat, dog, or other animal companion, itself in a mirror? I have 2 cats and, 1 dog. My dog will not look and, in fact, will turn away from her own reflection. My older cat could'nt care less but, my most recent addition, she is a crazed kitty but, she has done both of these things and, honestly, she seems to be quite interested in how the dang thing works!! Not for long though, as there are rolls of toilet paper to be attacking 
Personally, in a somewhat similar way as SunChild, mirrors played a part at one time in my life... I never gazed or found myself pleased with what reflected but, even then, I found that I had no use for any makeup or 'style' as it was. I'm still not completely satisfied with my 'vehicle' but, I have accepted those things, that it reflects, as if it were like a journal... or a log of experiences... and, so far anyway, I am ok with the 'imperfections' of popular standards. I know what, why and, how my 'vehicle' has attained them and, only there, is seen truths. I don't believe a mirror is needed there... my physical reflects me, truthfully and, I am not ashamed of the scars... nor do I need to validate that by seeing myself in a mirror... I do not think that one should be taken at ' face ' value, though. It is always the story that gives 'worth'. I understand your point, ChristopherArcher and, I agree it is the case many times but, I know too, from experience, that many times it is what one THINKS others might see..... ~ geminstone IP: Logged | |
Lindaland
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! 
