In recent years there has been an increasing trend in the West which has seemed to grab the attention of both genders and all ages. It is the interest in personallity tests, psychology and self-analysis. The positive aspect of this interest is the increase in self-insight and the tools these tests contribute to self improvement and awareness.
It may be said that a personallity test which is fairly accurate and balanced can serve as a mirror does. A mirror simply reflects the face that everybody else around us can see, but we cannot see. We wear the face, we use the face, we express ourselves with the face, but we cannot see it unless it is mirrored to us. Many gain much good from having their personallity, along with good and bad tendencies, strengths and weaknesses mirrored to them.
The negative aspect of this growing interest is that, as with mirrors, they can be starred into too much. An over-emphasis on one’s self can become destructive as all selfishness and ego-centricity becomes.
The advice which I have been given, and would deem to be worthy of consideration, is that personallity tests and types, phsychological insight and self-definition are good and healthy things when applied in an balanced manner. But when one’s personallity is used as an excuse for weaknesses (such as: “Well, I just am like that”) or when one’s focus centres too much around one’s own internal world and psyche, the “mirror” makes us see only ourselves. Self is a large god who does not like to share, and will gladly take the thrown of our hearts if allowed to do so.
So for now perhaps we should be using the mirror to check if there’s something between our teeth that needs removing, and leave it at that.
