Published in Sunday Speaking Tree
The Hifi connection within
The ever increasing influence of social media has made a big impact in everyone's life. The internet serves as a portal for continuous interconnectedness. One can instantly share moments, emotions, thoughts with others. This constant need to connect with others tends to isolate rather than connect. Pictures of a family sharing space with one another but each connected electronically to a distant friend or acquaintance is commonplace. Another scourge of these networking tools is the dubious ability to project an image, and showcase oneself. It can be used to create a virtual world with images and impressions of being happy, successful, wealthy. Pictures of marital bliss, being in a totally fulfilling relationship, or being felicitated, honoured or appreciated are ubiquitously featured on most social networking platforms. Does it help to paint an image that obfuscates the reality just to impress others?
How effective can broadcasting a virtual reality in the virtual world really enhance our own standing ?
The difference in how we perceive ourselves vs how others see us is referred to as the Fundamental Attribution Error. Projection of an impression is a misrepresentation that amplifies this error. Broadcasting a virtual image of oneself merely to seek acknowledgement, appreciation, acceptance and approval erodes ones self esteem. It germinates a seed of discontent with the reality. Self appraisal and self esteem is based on what I think of myself and largely on what I think others think of me.
W H Auden the noted English- American poet opined- "The image of myself which I try to create in my own mind in order that I may love myself is very different from the image which I try to create in the minds of others in order that they may love, respect and accept me."There is invariably a great discrepancy between what others think of me and what I think others think of me. Just as there remains a yawning gap between what I think I am and what I think I would like to be. All endeavours to project an image of oneself is aimed at minimising these discrepancies. Two simultaneous discordant images or beliefs lead to what is known as Cognitive dissonance. The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the perilous conflicting state of mind resulting from holding two conflicting beliefs. When this discrepancy is formidable, this perceptive parallax creates a quagmire of ones own identity.
Greater relevance and importance of others opinions of ourselves renders our self esteem very vulnerable. Life becomes a constant struggle to bridge this insurmountable chasm. The image that we have of ourself is intrinsically a virtuality to begin with. All cosmetic upgrades of this virtual image in a virtual world is virtual madness. A candid, pragmatic assessment and acceptance of ourselves and our abilities and limitations is crucial for our well being. Life is too short to be further reduced to merely an effort to depict oneself as someone that one would like to become or like others to believe one is. Life is too precious a commodity to squander away in this lust to become what I am not.
The real connection that needs to be effected is the connect with ones own self. This connection is a HiFi ( high fidelity) connection and not a Wifi. It requires no device or media. It is a connection that exists by default. Its just that all outward interactions generate too much noise that interrupts this link. Solitude and silence help re'establish this link. Communicating with oneself is meditation. When the observer and the observed merge into a holistic unity, the need to communicate becomes superfluous. One becomes aware that the true self is the conscious awareness that is observing this virtuality called Me.
Dr Deepak Ranade
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
The Hifi connection within
The ever increasing influence of social media has made a big impact in everyone's life. The internet serves as a portal for continuous interconnectedness. One can instantly share moments, emotions, thoughts with others. This constant need to connect with others tends to isolate rather than connect. Pictures of a family sharing space with one another but each connected electronically to a distant friend or acquaintance is commonplace. Another scourge of these networking tools is the dubious ability to project an image, and showcase oneself. It can be used to create a virtual world with images and impressions of being happy, successful, wealthy. Pictures of marital bliss, being in a totally fulfilling relationship, or being felicitated, honoured or appreciated are ubiquitously featured on most social networking platforms. Does it help to paint an image that obfuscates the reality just to impress others?
How effective can broadcasting a virtual reality in the virtual world really enhance our own standing ?
The difference in how we perceive ourselves vs how others see us is referred to as the Fundamental Attribution Error. Projection of an impression is a misrepresentation that amplifies this error. Broadcasting a virtual image of oneself merely to seek acknowledgement, appreciation, acceptance and approval erodes ones self esteem. It germinates a seed of discontent with the reality. Self appraisal and self esteem is based on what I think of myself and largely on what I think others think of me.
W H Auden the noted English- American poet opined- "The image of myself which I try to create in my own mind in order that I may love myself is very different from the image which I try to create in the minds of others in order that they may love, respect and accept me."There is invariably a great discrepancy between what others think of me and what I think others think of me. Just as there remains a yawning gap between what I think I am and what I think I would like to be. All endeavours to project an image of oneself is aimed at minimising these discrepancies. Two simultaneous discordant images or beliefs lead to what is known as Cognitive dissonance. The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the perilous conflicting state of mind resulting from holding two conflicting beliefs. When this discrepancy is formidable, this perceptive parallax creates a quagmire of ones own identity.
Greater relevance and importance of others opinions of ourselves renders our self esteem very vulnerable. Life becomes a constant struggle to bridge this insurmountable chasm. The image that we have of ourself is intrinsically a virtuality to begin with. All cosmetic upgrades of this virtual image in a virtual world is virtual madness. A candid, pragmatic assessment and acceptance of ourselves and our abilities and limitations is crucial for our well being. Life is too short to be further reduced to merely an effort to depict oneself as someone that one would like to become or like others to believe one is. Life is too precious a commodity to squander away in this lust to become what I am not.
The real connection that needs to be effected is the connect with ones own self. This connection is a HiFi ( high fidelity) connection and not a Wifi. It requires no device or media. It is a connection that exists by default. Its just that all outward interactions generate too much noise that interrupts this link. Solitude and silence help re'establish this link. Communicating with oneself is meditation. When the observer and the observed merge into a holistic unity, the need to communicate becomes superfluous. One becomes aware that the true self is the conscious awareness that is observing this virtuality called Me.
Dr Deepak Ranade
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
1 comment:
Namaskar!
Aprateem, Very very fortunate to be here in time & experience.
Dhanyawad.🙏.
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