Monday, December 8, 2008

Project Self

People walk through life indulging in the art of imitation without even realizing what they are doing. Most people believe that the persona they are at any given time is the original version of themselves, but that is not always the case. It is then very important that one is not a copy of someone else because that creates multiple problems of identity representation and appreciation. Such event is problematic because the gazes of those around one constructs who one is. Said gazes create the socially constructed image that constitutes someone’s existence. One is nothing if someone else doesn’t think so. False presentations of oneself whether purposely or not can create conflicts with other people. But so do the original versions. As a result, one must be very careful since the detail that is part of one’s persona, which fascinates others is only known to those who are charmed by it.
As one grows up, it is very easy to pick up traits from those around. In fact, that is the case more often than not. By the time one is old enough to understand that a personality has been adopted, it is too late to identify those parts of one’s personality that were not part of the original copy. Thus, naturally there is not anyone who is precisely an original copy. Everyone accommodates bits and pieces of those who have at some point formed part of their lives. Therefore, false presentations occur both purposely and not. If they are on purpose, then one should be able to face the consequences of the misrepresentation. But when they are not on purpose, it is difficult to understand the results that brings. One is not always aware that traits from those have been adopted, which renders difficult the task of presenting oneself as one truly is.
There is an important issue that arises from projecting oneself on a certain way; which leads to causing people to perceive one in a certain way. If this perception arises directly from whom one really is, then there should not be any worries of what others might think of one since such thoughts are a direct result of what one does. Yet, if people have a contradicting idea of who is, one could be doomed to ultimately become that person. One is what other people think one is not necessarily what one believes one is. It is difficult to arrive at a consensus because most of the time one does not realize what one gives off as a personality or representation of one’s own real self. Due to fear of rejection that might come if one shows one’s true colors, one accepts the new persona imposed by others. At the same time, one simply might find that other character more appealing than the original as do those around.
Another major problem is the fascination that one causes others. Such fascination comes as a result of the perception someone holds of one. Some people enjoy believing that they know what exactly causes it. But that fascination is caused by a particular detail of someone’s personality most of the time unknown to the one who causes the fascination. Such detail seems to be only known to that person who is charmed by it. If one moves through life mimicking someone else, soon there will be time when one is not admired, appreciated, nor respected for who one is, but rather for whom that person of, which one became the copy is.
Thus, misrepresentations and, as a result, misperceptions rise the question of whether one is appreciated (respected, loved, etc) for who one is or for whom other people want one to be or believe one to be. Then one could also begin to appreciate more whom one is due to other people’s influences and not the one whom one really is, which renders one’s true self purposeless. If not recognized, it becomes meaningless.
People become devoted to the idea of someone and not to that person. People recognize only those parts of someone’s imagine which they approve of. They are fascinated by a random idea not by something specific. Hence, if one is not the original version of oneself, one is deliberately taking the risk of never actually knowing oneself. The risk of molding others perceptions of one and as a result molding oneself to what others perceive.
One should not be a puppet of others’ views and desires. After all, one is not born with strings attached.

xoxo,
Poison Drops


©Copyrighted 2008

1 comment:

kairos88 said...

kewl, sumthing worth discussing. jaja...

this is awesome: "Thus, misrepresentations and, as a result, misperceptions rise the question of whether one is appreciated (respected, loved, etc) for who one is or for whom other people want one to be or believe one to be."

i still dont get wut u think a person "is"
u believe in there being a unique essence to every individual?

or that as a whole, we are an accumulation of our experiences and sumthing more?