Heidi Lungren
Dr. Kluthe
Honors Forum
4 October 2005
“Reflection Defined”
“Mirror mirror on the wall, have I got it? Cause mirror you’ve always told me, who I am. I’m finding it’s not easy to be perfect, but sorry you won’t define me. Sorry, you don’t own me. Mirror I am seeing a new reflection. I’m looking into the eyes of who made me. And to Him I am beauty beyond compare. I know He defines me.”-Barlow Girl. Self image includes infinite personal and social aspects, but through continued studies, I came to realize that self image is rather the result of the different aspects of life than the foundation. Primarily, our society automatically refers to self image as body image. Humanity lives and judges visually, therefore, I believe this to be the reason for the confusion. Comparatively, both ideas pose the proposition of self worth: where it is sourced, how it is recognized, and what difference it makes. Ideally, self image encompasses all aspects of life such as character, intelligence, and physical attraction; body image focuses only on the physical appearance of a person.
Self image is the set of beliefs one has regarding his identity. How do you define yourself? One must realize that his or her response might be negative, but at this point one’s internal and external environments have the ability to react. Influences such as family, friends, and the media yield one’s idea of self worth. When the response does not encourage the positive portions of life, negative comebacks such as sickness and depression can occur because of the perception of worthlessness. It could be argued that many mental illnesses come from a battle with self image, whether it is how one perceives, how others view, and what is actually true about one’s identity.
Self image is divided into three categories: “I self,” “me self,” and “physical self.” Of these three subgroups, which should be the most important, or should a balance be the objective? What should we prioritize? What does society prioritize? The “I self,” is the external projection of one’s character, whereas the “me self,” is the internal value/self-esteem one generates according to societal perceptions and expectations. “Physical self” incorporates body image, and how one reacts to his or her age/sexual status. All of the “selves” aim to satisfy the ideas of society. Will humanity ever rest contently?
Body image is how one judges and feels about their reflection in the mirror as well as how they feel inside their body. A positive body image is always the goal but yet it seems to be inaccessible; perfectionism initiates this struggle. People with a negative body image view their body shape or size as a personal shame/failure and therefore have a greater likelihood of developing a sickness such as depression or an eating disorder. The key to developing a positive assessment is to respect one’s physical appearance and learn to overpower negative thoughts with positive, affirming, and accepting ones. However, humanity’s instinctual form of judgment provides us with a never-ending battle.
Again, these ideas provoke the question of what and how you choose to define yourself. Consider these theories. Optimistic influences will create and encourage the positive aspects of life rather than rest in the negative. Self and body images are interchangeable concepts in society, but self worth is a concrete and timeless foundation. Prioritization of the three “selfs” (I, me, and physical), is vital in establishing a positive perception. Though the battle is fought externally, the incentive begins within. Though the challenge is difficult, define what makes you beautiful beyond comparison by searching within before looking at the mirror on the wall.