Selfie Power: from vanity to identity
Author: Staff | Source: Catholic.net
One patient told me "now that I'm going to be 70 years old, I've realized that I have to take care of myself." He's not missing a point. I encouraged him to do selfies. Although it seems the summit of the culture of the Me-me-me-me or the tail of the pandemic of narcissism, can give us many ideas. Selfie comes from self, self, concerned with identity and individuality.
A self-portrait requires reflection on oneself. Behold the painters. Imagine that you make several selfies one day. When you wake up you will appear despeluzado and haggard, half an hour Limpito and recombed, at noon with a face of interest, leaving the work smiling and tired gesture.
Have you ever been amazed by your own recorded voice or when you look recorded on video, do I really make that gesture? I would love to design an application of selfies: "Selfie power". I'd get 15 selfies per second. I would capture my thoughts, inner voices, emotions, feelings, body posture and non-verbal language. What I see, how I interpret it, for what and for whom I am so, where I come from, in relation to what and to whom I am.
Would store them and help us think "What I think", to feel "what I feel", how I have come to have that "challenge", what makes me change from one state of self to another, how I treat others when I am in that mode of selfie, what attitude I notice of others towards me. Frames and the whole movie.
It seems that those who become selfies, rather than vanity, are moved by the desire to seek one's own identity, and it is great. As you can see, this "thinking about me" has nothing to do with "thinking of me" as a narcissistic plan, as the vain inhabitant of one of the planets of the Little prince: "You admire me very much, don't you? The vain asked the little prince. What does it mean to admire? Admiring means recognizing that I am the most beautiful man, the best dress, the richest and the smartest on the planet".
The selfie sent by Instagram, rather than admiration, seems to ask us to confirm: "It is you". In the app instead of a "Like" button I'll put a "You are" button.
The human being comes from the factory with the possibility of making selfies: the capacity of reflection. We promote the reflective function with the observation of oneself, the recognition of how I am, what has happened before and after, with whom I have related and what of it has connected with what mine.
A friend told me that the first time she was in the Vatican square she commented, "What beautiful streetlights!" He told me that as a sign of his scattering. However, I think it may be a sign of individuality. It makes Me wonder: what part of the Vatican Square connects to what part of me? It is not indifferent that what affects my senses more directly is the streetlights.
The same thing happens to us in various situations and, above all, in relationships with other people: what part of you connects to what part of me? It will have to do with my previous relationships and experiences.
If I reflect as a regular and constant activity, I can direct my actions better. I can ask myself "in what selfie I am" to choose better how to act and make an answer, rather than react as an automaton. If I increase my reflective capacity I'll be following the oracle of Delphi and I'll know myself. Of the "static selfie" I will go to take different shots: "Intraselfie", "Selfie Static", "dynamic", "panoramic"... And much more interesting: what happens between one state and another, what is the dynamics, how has the transition been pre and post selfie.
With greater reflective capacity, you will always have the private property of your innermost self, of your own exclusive. Yes, you are.