Research 09/16-09/23: How We Perceive Ourselves, Why Women Wear Makeup
Updated: Dec 7, 2020
Body Without Self, Self Without Body, Yochai Ataria, Weizmann Institute of Science, 2016
Reconsidering the Look in Sartre's "Being and Nothingness" , Luna Dolezal Source: Sartre Studies International , 2012, Vol. 18, No. 1 (2012), pp. 9-28, Berghahn Books Stable, URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42705181
To start understanding how we perceive ourselves, its important to have some basic knowledge of how to define the "self". This is an ongoing philosophical discussion, so it's not a simple definition. But it can give us some background knowledge when thinking about what we mean when he ask "how do we see ourselves". Some argue, the "self" is our body make up while some argue it is our brain, more specifically, the emotions, feelings, memories, and sensations that occur within the brain. Maurice Merleau-Ponty described the relationship between body and self as similar to subject and object. If we hold an object in our hand such as an orange, we become a subject observing the orange. The object is what we inspect, the subject is that of which perceives. When we look at out reflection for example, we see and inspect our own body. Our reflection becomes the object. The way we observe it such as through our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes toward it, makes us the subject. Another example is our inner speech, the conversations we have with ourselves inside our mind. In this scenario, we are a subject also analyzing our self as an object, examining our physical and mental states. Merleau is essentially stating that reflection and inner speech support the ontological theory that the body exists for itself by others, coined by John Paul Sartre.
Sartre is explaining that if this statement is true, one recognizes that the body of another is an object; one's own body can be an object to others; the other is a subject of which whom I'm an object; one experience's their body as it is reflected to them by others. He explains there is a "seen body" which is a visual representations of one's own body as seen from the perspective of another. This is what we present to the world and is important because it is how others see and judge us. According to Sartre, this judgement of our seen body by others is dominated by sight. Through awareness of the seen body, we can become self-aware of how others see us (Dolezal).
Merleau and Sartre's explanation of the relationship of body and self gives us some framework when discussing this topic further throughout this thesis. We are acknowledging that the there is a connection between the two, and how we see ourselves may differ from how others do. Sartre believes true self-awareness stems from understanding our "seen body" and though we will not be able to solve the question of how to do so, we can attempt to visualize the differences in perception.
How We See Ourselves, How We See Others, Emily Pronin, American Association for the Advancement of Science, May 30, 2008
Moving away from philosophy, we take a more scientific approach into perception. Emily Pronin explains that when we see ourselves, we are immersed in our own sensations, emotions, and cognitions. When we see others, we see what can be observed externally. We judge ourselves based on what we feel and think, meanwhile judge others based on what we see. We lack the knowledge of what intentions and emotions are occurring in the minds of others. Our own judgements, whether its of ourselves or of others can be distorted by subconscious biases. Pronin also notes that when we look at ourselves, we see a reflection in which we spend a small amount of visual attention on it. However, other's main source of information of who we are comes from our visual self. These differences lead to a lot of miscommunications in our interactions with others.
The Reasons Why Women Wear Makeup, Sofia Gilmore-Montero, University Wire, Dec. 2017
The Power of Makeup is More Than Just ‘Putting on a Face’, University Wire, Apr. 2016
Why Women Wear Makeup, Nancy Hathaway, Philadelphia Inquirer, Dec. 1983
There are many reasons for women to wear and not to wear makeup. It could be a confidence boost, a form of self-expression, or to conceal unwanted features. Some may use it if they feel insecure with their appearance, or to impress others. Whether choosing to wear or not to wear makeup, the relationship between a woman and makeup is complex, but it is intertwined with her identity. There is a pressure for woman to wear makeup to be taken seriously and be considered "presentable". While there is a conflicting pressure to look natural and pure. When applying makeup, a women may look at herself in the mirror and see her ideal self, but that may not communicate over to others. While the concern of others is not significant, understanding what one's appearance looks like from an 'others' perspective may beneficial in forming a greater sense of self-awareness.
Comments