Image and happiness

This concern for image (that can lead to some wild extremes) perhaps isn’t completely without foundation, nor artificial, such as a product of social/cultural pressures. I would say that the error lies in the form that this concern takes on and the reference points. In other words, I think there is something lacking when people only look at themselves, or at popular social models, for guidance as to what image they ought to represent.

People may be surprised to hear that the human concern for “image”, from the Christian perspective, does have to do with our nature as human persons. “God created mankind in His image, in the image of God, He created them; male and female, He created them.” (Genesis 1:27). Simple? Yes.  Banal? Not at all. This need to express something about our “image” is basically written into our very being! It’s intrinsic. For the Christian, this is fundamental to understanding his own dignity, and the dignity of every human person- man and woman. If God is the reference point and source of a person’s image, then it seems important to discover and get to know Him in order to express a worthy, faithful image.

Perhaps non-believers would disagree on the point that we were made in God’s image and therefore, disagree with the statement that we ought to know Him so that the rest may follow (i.e. understanding own dignity, what image we ought to portray, and how to portray it, etc.).  Regardless of religion, every person (especially those woman concerned with their image), ought to reflect on what is their reference point for something as basic as how they express themselves to the rest of the world, to the people around them, and even to themselves? In other words, have you thought about what are trying to represent? What are your criteria for doing so? (We cannot forget the reality that many people look to what Ms. Ambrose and her celebrity clients put forth as models for our image).

When the image well portrays that which it tries to represent, there is order. And where this is order, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is happiness. Speaking of happiness, take a look at USA Today’s story that has received worldwide coverage for “America’s Happiest Woman”:  Mary Claire Orenic.  We’ll have to save this discussion for the next post.