In this modern world we are constantly bombarded with images of ourselves and the “selves we should be” via mirrors, windows, pictures, TV, and so on. This was not so for the bulk of human history. Prior to the 1820’s there were no photographs. The modern silver-backed glass mirror wasn’t invented until 1835; prior to that mirrors were small, crude or expensive.
Seeing ourselves constantly, in a distorted, 2-dimensional view no less, has led to bizarre rites of self-obsession and scrutiny. This is not narcissism in the classical sense. The Greeks had a very different view. Narcissus was a mythic hero “renowned for his beauty.” Rather than worrying about his appearance, “he falls in love with a reflection in a pool, not realizing it was his own, and perishes there, not being able to leave the beauty of his own reflection.” (Wikipedia). In our culture this has turned sour: not self-adoration, but self-deprecation. Not an improvement.
If you don’t believe we live awash in false images of beauty, just watch this video about the transformation of a model’s face to a billboard image (of a woman that doesn’t exist):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcFlxSlOKNI
I’m not saying we should all look like Neanderthals, only that things have gotten out of hand. What if all the mental energy spent negatively obsessing about our looks was focused on something that actually mattered?
What does this have to do with Green Living? We have momentous changes to make to our social structures and the design of our energy systems. We need as much mental acuity, focus and energy as we can marshal to do so, and to integrate the changes in progress. This requires an active citizenry, not a distracted one.
Mental energy is our most precious resource, one that needs just as much conservation as any other.
Green Living Forever 