How Do You See Yourself

Have you ever considered you don’t see yourself as others see you?

There isn’t a perfect means of communication or medium out there and frankly, when it comes to ourselves we process what we see when looking at ourselves differently than anyone else does. Furthermore, social media has added a completely new dimension … and life in general for that matter.

We make that mistake with both our mirrors at home and out in public … as well as the ever-present mirror in our mind of what others might be saying about us behind our backs, or on social media. When we see ourselves on a video it’s usually not what we thought we looked like … and our voice sounds different when we hear a recording verses our inside ear. Have you ever thought that might also be true when you write something?

Have you ever noticed that when we see a group picture, be it of two, or three or 25 … we immediately look at ourselves first? When we pass a mirror on the wall, we check to see if we have spinach in our teeth or if our hair is askew … yet we fail to see how horrible that wrinkled and out of date seersucker suit we have on looks on us. When someone posts a comment or review on something we’ve written, or built, or created … we dissect it, looking to see if they “got it” the way we intended it … or did they see it in a way that gives us the assurance that their vision of us is the same as ours.

No one really understands our self narrative, no one cares that much about us … no one knows what it truly takes to be us … and don’t really care to take the time to get to know us that well.  That nugget of truth we may be looking for simply isn’t there, no matter how hard we look in the mirror.

As a friend use to say, “No one is as bad or as good as they think they are.”  Nevertheless, each of us is unique in our own way … and that’s a good thing. Right?

© Copyright 2018 Phil Hoffman, all rights reserved