Social Mirroring

Sometimes we learn who we are by looking at how other people react to us. If someone smiles when we tell a joke, we think I am funny! This is like using other people as mirrors. While it is good to have friends, it is also important to remember who you are when there are no mirrors around. When you are alone, you do not need a mirror to tell you that you are important and loved.

You do not need a mirror to tell you that you are important. You learned to smile because someone smiled at you. You learned to speak because someone spoke to you. You learned you were lovable because someone loved you. The mirror came first. The self came second. This is beautiful and this is dangerous. Beautiful because it means we are built for connection. Dangerous because it means the wrong mirror can teach you the wrong shape. If the mirror said you were too much — that was a broken mirror. If the mirror said you were not enough — that was a dirty mirror. The mirror was never the truth. The mirror was always just another person doing their best. And their best was not always accurate. You do not need a reflection to exist. The sun does not need a mirror to shine.

Cooley's Looking-Glass Self: identity shaped by perceived perception. The mirror came first. The self came second. The sun does not need a mirror to shine.

SOUND: An echo in a large hallway: your voice coming back to you changed by the space it traveled through.

SMELL: The perfume or soap of someone you love: another person's identity entering through your nose.

TASTE: Sharing a meal with a large group: the taste of food that was meant to be communal.

TOUCH: A warm hug from a friend: the body receiving its own reflection through another body.

SIGHT: Seeing your reflection in someone else's eyes: the self visible only because someone else is looking.

BODY: The pull of a crowd moving together: the body joining a rhythm it did not start but cannot resist.

Music: Stinkfist by Tool

Part of Identity & The Self — CONSCIOUSNESS — Education Revelation