We tend to create images all the time and then live by them. Some of these images are necessary for our day-to-day existence and survival. However, most of them are not only uncalled-for but are severely constraining and are at the root of most of our psychological suffering.
Let’s start with an inside-out or external perspective. We form images of various things in the world and look at the world through these images. Our actions are informed and triggered by these images. For instance, we have an image of fire – its nature, uses and dangers – and when we see a fire, it is this image that drives our actions. An evocative image would be that of a snake. If we didn’t carry a prior image of a snake and its dangers, as in the case of a child for example, we would go and play with it instead of keeping away. These images are necessary and are useful to deal with the world in practical ways.
We also develop images of people around us and look at them through these images. Think of the images that we carry of our father or mother or spouse or a friend or a colleague at work or a celebrity or a politician. We use all the accumulated data about the person to create this image and the more the accumulated data, the sharper is the image of this person in our minds. Using the images that we built up, we put people into categories - good, bad, dependable, wicked, cunning, generous, irresponsible and so on – and our interactions with people are informed by these images. Such images do serve a practical purpose as past behaviors of people may be a good guide for their future behaviour, but we know that this is not always true. There is nothing static about life and people. When a person, whom we categorized as truthful, lies to us, we are heartbroken. Similarly, people that we had written off as hopeless, may surprise us in a positive way. We can thus see the fallacy of viewing people through rigid images and the importance of deeming every interaction afresh, as if it is for the first time.
We need to take an outside-in or inward view to really appreciate how image-making can be a source of serious trouble. Just as we build images of things and people in the outside world, we create an image of ourselves and live by it. How do we develop this self-image? Through numerous interactions and associations over the years with people around us, starting with our parents and family members, which accumulates and crystallizes into a concrete image that we carry about us. Just as we view other people as images, we develop the self-image of a personality – introvert/extrovert, temperamental, serious, jovial, dependable, responsible, idealist, opportunist, religious, nationalist etc. This image of an unchanging personality or identity is actually illusory but each of us not only strongly believe in it but actually live by it. Over time, this self-image becomes so strong and real that most of our actions arise out of and are determined by it, when in truth, nothing stops us from being free and spontaneous in all our actions. For example, I might think of myself as an introvert, but if I feel gregarious in a situation, why not simply be gregarious? I might think of myself as a perfectionist and am striving to be one all the time whether the situation requires it or not. The right action is always fresh, unconstrained and responsive to the truth of the moment.
What’s more, when other people, over whom we have no control, undermine our self-image or attack it, we get extremely upset and turn violent. Our actions now are not really our own, but are dictated or ‘hacked’ by others around us. We start taking our self-image so seriously, that we give birth to a host of psychological problems – hurt, pride, disappointment, envy, over-ambition and so on.
The individual identity that each of us carry and swear by is like the water of a mirage; seems quite real, but is not really there when you look closely. It’s time to shake off our imaginary chains and break free!
Ravee Chittoor is an associate professor at the University of Victoria. The views he expresses are personal.
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog, Spiritually Speaking, HERE /blogs/spiritually-speaking
