Self Concept - Self Image

Old lady or beautiful young woman?

Take a look at the picture to the left.

Would say that that woman is between let’s say 70 to 95 years of age, an old lady or would say that this she is somewhere from around 18 to about 30 years old?

What we have here is a perceptional scotoma. A scotoma is a blind spot in our vision. A lock on lock out low, low.

Once we lock onto one perspective it can become difficult for us to see it from any other. Lock on, lock out.

Perhaps you’ve driven a car onto a freeway and after viewing your rear vision mirror and noting all clear you were interrupted by a car blowing it’s horn and an angry driver with possibly one or two fingers raised.

The car was in your blind spot but like the nose on your face you couldn’t see it.

Here’s another one.

The F-Card

Read the information in all caps below and then go back and count the F’s.

How many F’s can you see? 2? 3? 4?... There are actually six F’s looking back at you.

Using these two examples we start to realise that we don’t always perceive correctly.

Here’s an example in the positive manner:

Bringing the idea of perception a little closer to home, what do you see when you look into a mirror? The offspring of a monkey?... Protoplasm that evolved? ... Or a person created in the image of God?

I can tell you that my ancestors did swing in the trees, the thing is my ancestors swung from their necks not from their tails... I’ll guarantee you on that!

Self awareness: When you look into the mirror do you see yourself as an old hag or a beautiful young lady? Someone who is loved?

Do you see someone who’s fat or someone who needs to lose some weight or both?

Top Hollywood actors we’re asked in a survey, “If you could change one part of your physical anatomy would you?” Every one of them said yes and most have gone and had the work done.

In a book by Dr. Maxwell Maltz, Psycho-cybernetics, Mr. Maltz, a world renowned plastic surgeon referred to numerous personal experiences. After removing bandages post surgery, many of his clients saw no visible difference, even after he showed them obvious before and after pictures. They still felt ugly!

He came up with ‘self image psychology’ believing that in many cases the self image of his patients needed to change, not necessarily their external features or perceived defects.

Allow me to wrap this post up by saying it’s OK to love yourself.

This positive self-love statement does not violate the basic Judeo Christian ethic. For does it not say that we should love our neighbours as ourselves? Not better than, not less than but ‘as’ ourselves?

So go ahead, look into your mirror with amazement and love the beautiful, unique and multi-talented you.

Answers

1. If you’re still trying to see both women look at it this way. The necklace of the young lady is the mouth of the old lady or the ear of the young lady is the eye of the old lady.
2. How do you spell of? OV right?