Being authentic

Integrity, speaking my truth

IMAGE - presenting who we are vs. who we REALLY are

I had an interesting communications with Chaparral about image and thought it belonged here as it concerned image, what we present to others vs. authenticity.
I've added a bit more.

There are many victims of fashion
Anna and I can't be counted among them!

I guess we all want to look good for our partners
…that's why we men wash our face in the morning…and sometimes even shave!:D
but there seems to be a continuum of things we can do to present ourselves
all the way from the negligible
to the extreme
We have a section on this group entitled “balance”
I think that's the key

Funny thing is
image is self propagating
It's social conditioning
Ads with pretty woman and pretty men
are ubiquitous
and so, they condition us, very subliminally and at a very early age
to want to appear that way
My stepson uses some kind of cologne…at age 12!
I rest my case

Yet, after you have found your partner
you can be lying in bed or relaxing on a weekend
and image is the last thing on your mind

We have to be naked at some time, don't we?
Everything we put on
must come off when we go to sleep or bathe
The more comfortable we are with someone
the more we can drop the image game
In this sense, there is a lot of insecurity in society
and people may be fooled into believing
that people will value us only for the image we can present
I guess this is where the cliche of the “dumb blonde” comes from
someone who excels at image at the expense of the inner light

Again, it's about balance
If we spend all our time refining our image
have we allocated any time to work on our essential inner being, our humanity?
We may paint the most beautiful, facade on the building's exterior
yet the inside may be shoddy, unclean and structurally unsound
Is it worth living in?

So the attractive facade we create
certainly serves its function to attract a potential partner
but what do we do once we are successful
and now they are here….then what?
What will they find?
Have we worked sufficiently on our authentic self so that there's something
that will keep that person around?
Image may be good for attracting a potential partner
but inner beauty is required if we want a partner to stay around

Image oriented businesses create insecurity
so that they can sell product, move merchandise
How much money does Revlon, Channel, etc.. make?
Yet, do they have an important intrinsic value?
On a desert island, if we had to choose a few essential items
I don't think Revlon or Channel would rate very high on the list!

To summarize
the buddha didn't wear cologne

Re: IMAGE - presenting who we are vs. who we REALLY are

LOL, Gien, the Buddha, IS cologne

enjoying your explorations!

Re: IMAGE - presenting who we are vs. who we REALLY are

The Buddha is cologne? :)

Yes, this is something that has come up often for me, and I have discussed here in blog conversations and in pods, because I have always felt very strongly that the preoccupation with appearance, and makeup etc especially for women can be unhealthy.

Even more important is being able to be who I am, in what I say and write and do, without pretense. That can be hard at times, because I am always reaching to become more who I am within than who I am at this stage of my development, so that leads to some dissonances. But in these places, on Gaia and in my life, where I can relax with people I care about and who accept me, I feel I can be more and more myself.

For that I am very grateful.

Love,

Nicole

Re: IMAGE - presenting who we are vs. who we REALLY are

Well… truth is perfume, Nicole. - getting poetic … I guess I'm an ecstatic in disguise lol

what I am reading in these posts is its all about integrity. When we are essentially ourselves we will have a more real relationship.

When I was a teenager I experimented with games playing which I soon grew out of. As I grew up over the years I became more and more myself - whatever that is….

Re: IMAGE - presenting who we are vs. who we REALLY are

ah i see… you crazy ecstatic you lol - i have an inner ecstatic as well…

yes, it is a gradual process throughout adulthood…

love,

nicole

Re: IMAGE - presenting who we are vs. who we REALLY are

it IS unhealthy.. i feel that a lot of the time i have to be covering up my blemishes or red marks with foundation, and putting on bronzer so i do not look so pale in this tan society. i do that so i won't be “ugly” in this society. so it is a certain amount of pressure..like i cannot attract the attentions of a guy if i have an imperfect face, and i will be poked fun at by my female peers.

but this is why i like the internet. people get to know my MIND, not my physical appearance. so, there is no pressure. i wear nothing in this cyber world. i am bare to this world, and people get to know my inner working vs my outward workings. they no naught of the walls and barriers, just the real woman behind them.

but more and more, thanks to gaia, i can tear the walls down..and this will be great for college..no big iron walls..sure, there will be some in place, as is necessary in this world, but it won't be so much :D

Re: IMAGE - presenting who we are vs. who we REALLY are

that's wonderful, Suni! It is a joy to get to know you better,

Love,

Nicole

Re: IMAGE - presenting who we are vs. who we REALLY are

*hugs* it's a joy to have friends here and get to know them better!

Re: Being authentic

Life is a big pot of stew
and some of the veggies are undercooked
while others are overcooked

Some are image oriented
others are the complete opposite
and there are many grades in between

When we sit back and watch the movie of life unfolding
The dynamics are sometimes somewhat predictable! :D

Re: Being authentic

True, Gien.
Suni - it is great here on Gaia, getting to know friends from the inside out, isn't it

Re: Being authentic

for sure it is! :D