What is the mirror stage?
According to Jacques Laccan on his reinterpretation of Freud work he introduced the "Mirror Stage" which is the stage at which an infant sees an image of the self usually from a mirror and produces a psychic response which symbolizes the awareness of "I". Building on this scholars have began to understand the mirror image beyond infancy and said the this stage also represents how we see ourselves as a way of trying to make sense of the world. We strive to complete our own self-image but it is not complete with the influence of outside comparisons. We have an ideal image of ourselves but when we see the "I"in the mirror, its not quite right. We as individuals are always seeking knowledge in hope to create a more perfect self but the current "I" is always not as we hoped. Laccan also says that after we have developed a concept of our "I" we look beyond input from ourselves, and crave input from others to help develop our self image.
What do you think behavioralists are describing about someone when they say "He/ she has not
stopped looking in the mirror"?
This statement goes beyond just self-worship or narcissism. When someone has "not stopped looking in the mirror" it lead me to believe that they are describing someone who is not quite sure of who they are. Or, they are not exactly white sure of their self image compared to their ideals selves. Behaviorist might say that this person is struggling to fit their own image of who they want to be. They might also say that others have given them expectation of who they are but they are not living up to what those people think or how they would like to be viewed. Someone has not stopped looking in the mirror because they want to figure out who they really are, instead of the ideal image they are trying to see.
Citations
Gamel, T. (2009, January 1). Summary of Lacan’s “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of
the I as Revealed in Psychoanalytic Experience" Retrieved January 15, 2015, from
http://www.academia.edu/1539509/Summary_of_Lacan_s_The_Mirror_Stage_as_
Formative_of_the_Function_of_the_I_as_Revealed_in_Psychoanalytic_Experience_
Lacan: The Mirror Stage. (n.d.). Retrieved January 15, 2015, from
http://www.english.hawaii.edu/criticalink/lacan/
I thought of the same things, like if we learn from others, due to repeating actions and reinforcement than maybe the self is built that way as well. Its like they can't stop looking in the mirror because what they are told maybe doesn't fit to what they see or what they want to see.
ReplyDeleteI liked your answer to the question, in fact ours are somewhat similar. You hit on a couple of points that I forgot about as well such as the self image issue. That is definitely an important point to bring up and it seems like a reasonable answer to the question. At some points in our life it is difficult to fully know who we are.
ReplyDelete"struggling to fit their own image of who they want to be" and "want to figure out who they really are" <--- both of these are fascinating observations worthy of greater examination. I'm glad you pointed to this.
ReplyDelete