Who do you think you are?
Someone recently commented that in their heads they were still about 25. The person in question is in their 50s. I find myself that if I catch a glimpse of myself in a mirror, when I’m not expecting it, I’m always shocked that there’s an old guy looking back. My internal self image is not what I actually look like. I don’t think this is very unusual, but I do think it is very significant. I understand that people with eating disorders often misjudge their real image. When shown altered images of themselves and asked to choose which one is real, they apparently think they are a different shape, often believing they are fat, when in fact they are dangerously thin. I started wondering how our self image affects us. Could it be a healthy misconception? It is a general truth that people who believe themselves to be beautiful, tend to be judged so because of their projected identity, through the confidence that their body language implies. Do those who think of themselves as younger, appear so to others? Is that why my parents generation appeared older at my age. The baby boomer generation are generally behaving/appearing younger at 60 than their parents did.
So my question is? Can we manipulate our own self image to be more psychologically healthy? I’m not talking about self deception. We all in fact have an inaccurate image, but if we accept that, the only issue is, is the inaccuracy helpful? If not, how do we change it? This will come in the next workshop. If you are intrigued, be sure to get along.