Publication date 1989
Theories of Visual Perception (3rd Edition) provides clear critical accounts of several of the major approaches to the challenge of explaining how we see the world. It explains why approaches to theories of visual perception differ so widely and places each theory into its historical and philosophical context.
“Stars” are those people inspire the rest of us. They shine, larger than life, above us, and around us. They suggest, in their insistent omnipresence, a certain order to the world.
Stars are stars, certainly, because they sparkle and shine — because, even when they are bathed in the limelight, they seem to have an incandescence of their own.
Western culture’s longstanding tendency to associate the human with the heavenly. They are “stars” because their audiences want them — and in some sense need them — to be.
Stars have long suggested a kind of order — and orientation — within chaotic human lives. They have long hinted that there is something bigger, something beyond, something more.
In Shakespeare’s mind, a star makes its highest sense as a heavenly force, reassuring in its constancy in ‘Sonnet 116’, the bard finds a star to be: “…an ever-fixed mark / That looks on tempests and is never shaken; / It is the star to every wand’ring bark, / Whose worth’s unknown, although height be taken.”
Stars — fusions of person and persona, of the fleshy human and the flinty image — have long offered a kind of structure within the hectic hum of human lives. They have long promised that most basic and inspiring of things: that we can be something more than what we are.
This year I want to lean into the ‘Star’ version of myself.
“But above all, in order to be, never try to seem.”
― Albert Camus
A definition of ‘Authentic Representation’ is the aspects of the personal vision (the quality or essence) that is seen, to give an expression and to be socially conscious from the impression, a means of actualisation to attain self-regard and social validation; that is by being a personalised ambassador to Self-hood. As ‘self-hood’ is the quality that constitutes one’s individuality. This is done in three ways: cultivation of a personal brand, having a persona, or living through one’s culture.
A ‘personal brand’ is rooted in authenticity. It’s simply the outward manifestation of who you are. How you chose to be.
A ‘persona’ is rooted in representation. It’s simply the outward manifestation of what you are. How you chose to show up.
A personal brand It’s not your social media posts or a well-crafted persona, but it aligns with it, as an example, or an extension, so there is still authenticity and representation.
This tension reveals that you must depict both at the same time. And to do that, you must show the process of the actual becoming the ideal. That is, you show the process of attaining your vision.
As your personal brand is a combination of your values, your beliefs, and your unique attributes, powered by your sincere efforts.
As your persona is a combination of your personality, your personal constitution and your energy powered by the things you do.
The tension between the ideal (who you want to be) and the actual (who you are) is at the heart of Authentic Representation.
Authentic Representation occurs when the two are appropriately balanced. As a true personification of Self-hood.
When it comes to how an authentic representation is actualised, there are so many layers, questions, and nuances to probe at. You could probe at them forever, if you wanted to.
You’re literally and figuratively, your own body of work, and the artform in life. You become the embodiment of diversity.
“One must first embark on the formidable journey of self-discovery in order
to create a vision with authentic soul.”
– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
While looking good and feeling good maybe seen by others as vain, especially if others can see it: by how you’ve changed, or notice it by your behaviour. It must also be remembered, that it is also part of self-loving, in an empowering way.
This positive vanity, is not by only focusing on looks, which is a surface level of ‘Acceptance of Self’, but by going much deeper, as it’s a social label given to those who care about themselves. And yes, this getting to know another, does take time and effort, going beyond a person to call another person ‘vain’ to look for other qualities. If they accept the challenge. As it is partly down to self-discovery, and not to impress others, but to have a better positive self-expression of themselves and others.
As, there are some people who judge others, on how vain supposedly they are, which can have a negative connotation on someone’s self-esteem. If they accept the stereotypical concept without challenging it, rather than focusing on the positive, that is, how self-loving are they. For I believe, if you love yourself, your love grows for others too. It reflects back to others, not as a mirror image but a lens. It means you have a greater capacity for humanity.
For negative ‘vanity’ is what others may want see, when they you look at you, and they do this on three areas:
• how close you are to being natural ie. realism
• how much time it’s taken to look groomed, ie. idealism
• how aligned is it with personality and gender, ie. moralism.
But, is this doing your well-being any favours? Especially if it means, that they who judge, only wanted to focus on the surface anyway. As they couldn’t be bothered to get to know the deeper person beyond the “vanity” stereotype in their own minds. And their value of you, which is linked to their own ‘Sense of Self’, as to where they place their own self-worth on, which they hide from view. And when you’re measured on the vain metric standard, in this way, it means, that it’s to another’s expectations, it’s to another’s feelings, and it’s to another’s aesthetics. But their lens should be adjusted.
For ‘vanity’ itself does no harm to another person, when you think about it. It just means, as far as I can tell, that the positive ‘vain’ confident person, is not seeking another’s attention to authenticate them, but have their own validation in place, to feel good about themselves.
However, there is a deeper-connection to ‘vanity’, that can also be positive to our well-being. And that is by taking in the whole person. And the whole person, in every aspects loves themselves from inside-out, as well as, from outside-in. This is called Self-Loving and Self-Expression.
Why is this important? Self-Esteem, Self-Respect and Self-Regard.
The consequence of a low self-esteem, is the fear of disappointment, of how others may see someone, who takes pride in how they look and/or think of themselves. Self-Care and Self-Loving needs attention to do otherwise is neglect.
The effect of this, is the level of respect associated with the amount of how secure one feels within oneself, to withstand the negative or bias judgements, is crucial to well-being and having Self-Respect.
Thereat having some Self-Regard is about the amount of compassion one is showing to oneself, that you may not meet other expectations, but you can certainly meet your own.
Modern Glamour WoC 
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