Selfie As A Diagnosis. Workshop - Society

Modern mobile devices have opened up a new world of photography for us called “selfies”. Together with professional photo shoots and random photos, selfies can be used to diagnose: how do I want to see myself? What do I want to look like for others? What am I really like? What do I not accept in myself? What traits do I misrepresent in vain, and what attempts at embellishment are wasted?

Every person, looking in the mirror or taking a selfie, is positioned in such a way as to look the most advantageous in accordance with the self-image. Sometimes unconsciously, sometimes consciously, we choose a pose, facial expressions, foreshortening. We draw in something, stick out something, straighten up, turn around, frown, smile, squint …

But even when working with a professional photographer, you cannot be sure of the objectivity of his lens. First, when you know that you are being photographed, it is damn hard to forget about it and stop posing. And secondly, the specialist himself also does not just "click", but wants to get an artistic shot, often far from the psychotherapeutically honest fixation of the hero.

It turns out that only automatic surveillance cameras impartially record us as we are. Well, even in the background of reportage shots of bystanders, we still have a chance for naturalness. So what do selfies, photo shoots, and random shots say about our essence? And how to correctly diagnose your mental state with their help?

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Ask yourself: What is your reaction to your look in selfies, professional photo shoots, and random shots?

Utterly disgusting

Let's start from the extreme pole: with people who don't like themselves in any photographs, not in the mirror, not in general. Too thin, too thick, hair of the wrong color, density and texture, facial features are completely inappropriate, no plastic, not a single successful pose … In fact, they can look anything: both normal and beautiful (there are very few really ugly people), but it's pointless to convince them of this. They won't believe it.

The trouble is that their mental image of the body and reality diverge so much that half measures are not suitable here. Such people either resign themselves to the share of an ugly duckling and hide from everyone forever, or if they decide to change, then radically, with the involvement of plastic surgeons, maximum body modification (up to the removal of "extra" ribs) and a complete change in appearance.

Hypothesis: such an attitude towards oneself is an alarming signal, indicating either deep mental trauma in childhood, or the risk of mental pathologies. “I don't want to be like that” is abbreviated too easily to “I don't want to be.” The dominant experiences - shame, self-deprecation, hopelessness - are characteristic of narcissistic trauma or post-traumatic state of the psyche.

Non-random people

With selfies and photos on the camera, they are all right: they like themselves, and for others it comes out recognizable. But with unexpected pictures, it's just a disaster: either the face is crooked to the point of impossibility, the posture is ugly, or the angle is unfavorable … There can be two options.

Option 1. There are people who are very lively, with rich facial expressions and rapid plasticity. It's a pleasure to watch them in motion (and they come out beautifully on video), but cutting out any moment with a flash is already a problem.

Hypothesis: this happens to people who are predominantly neurotic: their life is in relationships, in the process, and not in static freeze frames.

Option 2. People constantly playing some kind of role on the audience, real or imagined. This is not necessarily a conscious pretense or self-rejection. It happens that there is simply no person “for oneself”: it was not possible to take shape, there was no need. There is a set of characters, masks and poses for different occasions, for different partners and situations, and it works great and feels natural. But at the moment when the person has taken off all the masks, there is no one to take off the photo.

Hypothesis: "artists" are people of hysterical accentuation, it is natural for them to play roles, but you need to know for whom and what to play.

We would not seek universal respect so much if we knew we were worthy of it

Luc de Vauvenargue

Natural Born Models

A narrower case: people who only like themselves in staged photos. With tailored costumes, make-up, furnishings, lighting and direction. Everything there is just amazing. Bright, special, memorable. And in ordinary life, without preparation, themselves, in the mirror, on the street … nothing special, gray. And they also do not appreciate unprofessional spontaneous photo sessions: it comes out too ugly, without special preparation. They usually work hard, take care of themselves, spend time and energy on beauticians, stylists, gyms, diets … And all for the sake of one goal: to perform well and it is okay to appear to others. (Well, or they don’t spend, because they don’t have enough resources. But all the same, they are sure that they are “nothing” without work on themselves.)

Hypothesis: this is a sign of a narcissistic-hysterical character. Do these people, like everyone else, want intimacy, love and acceptance? but it is simply impossible to get them because of the learned belief that they are not given just like that. Love must be earned! Achievements, hard work, enchanting performances, noise and sparkles. They are excellent actors, models, "firm faces and breasts." They get plenty of attention, fame and recognition. Only now, neither the need for love is satisfied by this, nor the shame for one's own absurdity does not disappear anywhere.

I'm great

The opposite: people who only like selfies. Other photographers never capture such a person properly. But on their own, picking up the background, angle, pose, facial expression, they photograph themselves just great!

It's okay that viewers giggle at these crossbows posted on social networks against the backdrop of carpets, cabinets and sofas. They do not understand: the correct photo should reflect the inner world, and not annoying distortions of an imperfect appearance. Well, who can know the inner world better than the person himself?

Hypothesis: this is also narcissism, its reverse side. The idea of their own superiority and irresistibility. The main thing is not to doubt the thesis. Because the shame of imperfection is always ready, it always lives in the depths of thoughts and gnaws at the foundations of confidence.

Stop for a moment

When photography was first invented and first learned how to take pictures with short exposure, people were outraged by the unnaturalness and absurdity of photographically stopped reality. It turned out to be completely different from the usual painting! It took a new generation to grow up, accustomed to photographs from childhood, to accept them as they are. But there are still people who have to be specially "slowed down" for photographs.

Indifferent

For these people, their appearance is not important. Allegedly. Clean, shaved, cropped - and okay. What's in the mirror, what's in any photo (except selfies; they never take selfies). They believe that appearance is generally nonsense, if only it is not a crocodile, the main thing is relationships and inner peace. Clothes are worn comfortable and functional, often the entire wardrobe consists of several identical items of the same style, so as not to think about the choice. Wimps who are overly addicted to caring for their appearance (and overly - this is anything greater than zero) is looked down upon.

Hypothesis: these are, as a rule, introverts, schizoids, slightly autistic people. The conventions of interhuman relations seem to them too complicated or illogical, do not fit into a harmonious, safe classification, and therefore they tire and disturb. But if you dig deeper, under this sincere indifference to appearance, you can find all the same confidence in your poor quality. It's just that these people have found another way: to transfer competition from an unreliable or knowingly losing field of external showiness to internal efficiency, and then invest and push up. Often, deep down in their hearts, they hope that, gray and invisible, someone will notice and love them. Selflessly and unconditionally, just like that. Like mom or dad. And then it suddenly turns out that, in general, "you can be a sensible person and think about the beauty of your nails."And these almost invisible people suddenly turn out to be noticeable and beautiful. With good photos.

No problem

There are such happy people who like themselves everywhere: in random photos, and in staged ones, in the mirror, and in selfies (who are treated without hysterical pathos: when they do and when they don't, according to their mood). They are not always handsome and beauties, there are also noticeable flaws and are well aware of their advantages and disadvantages. They just don’t make tragedies out of them, they don’t hide or stick out. Their exterior matches their interior, their body image matches reality, and they are sure that they look good enough. And this confidence in sufficiency, naturalness and relaxedness looks, perhaps, more attractive than a model appearance.

Hypothesis: psychologists, unlike psychiatrists, do not operate with the concept of a norm. So what about such people can we say that all parts of their personality are schizoid, neurotic, narcissistic? harmoniously developed, balanced and integrated into a dynamic adaptive whole.

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Find common ground between different types of images. See your real self in photos. And accept

You can relate to photographs in different ways, like yourself or not, entirely or selectively, accept or fight it. But one way or another, there is something in common between all photographs, reflections in mirrors and other people's eyes. This is common - your I. Whole personality, which includes both body and soul, and relationships with other people, and place in life. Appearance is only one aspect that reflects all the integrity. It's not about looks. If not she, then something else will certainly act as a symptom and reflection of the essence.

The exterior is just a little more visible.

Self-dissatisfaction infection

Recently, excessive attention to the shortcomings of one's own appearance has become painful in the United States and Europe. A significantly larger percentage of people of both sexes are dissatisfied with themselves, and this worries them enough to really poison their lives. The work of researchers A. Feingold and R. Mazella, published in the journal Psychological Science at the turn of the century, already noted this alarming trend. At the same time, the results of a generalized analysis of 222 earlier studies indicated to scientists that women suffer from anxiety about their bodies significantly more than men. But in recent years, the stronger sex has become more worried about appearance: different groups of experts record - from 50 to 75%men are not satisfied with their bodies. The most problematic areas are also known: for women it is the chest and abdomen, for men - a lack of muscle mass, for both - overweight.

More about this:

Ramsay N., Harcourt D. Psychology of appearance St. Petersburg: Peter, 2009.

(Series "Masters of Psychology").