Selfie-takers tend to overestimate their attractiveness

[Mole]

I'll give you the narcissistic Millennial perspective.

I take a lot of selfies. Why? Because it makes me feel good about myself. I feel pretty, so I capture it. If this means I'm overestimating my attractiveness, so be it. It doesn't feel narcissistic to me. I don't splatter all my selfies over the internet saying, "OMG look at me!!" (I do post some, but I try to keep it tasteful.) I keep them on my phone to remind myself that I'm not actually horrible when I'm having a bad hair day. They're reminders. Also, they document my life. I have years of selfies that I like to look at just to notice change over time. It's enjoyable to see gradual changes in my appearance. Walk down memory lane, you know?

I try not to do it in public though. It feels weird.

Of course there are people who are narcissistic about it, but who cares? Does it really matter? There are bigger issues to focus on.

I dunno, narcissism is an all pervasive human condition in advanced prosperous societies.

Narcissism essentially cuts us off from ourself and replaces it with a false self, in this case, a selfie.

The simple fact is that most of us suffer in one way or another, and in advanced prosperous societies we have the wherewithal to disguise this unwelcome fact from ourself by creating a false self with selfies.

The false self is in response to the pain our self feels.

And the false self is so effective, we no longer feel the pain.

And there is nothing better than being part of a group based on the false self. With everyone around us being false, we can appear quite normal, even to ourselves.

 

[fetus]

I dunno, narcissism is an all pervasive human condition in advanced prosperous societies.

Narcissism essentially cuts us off from ourself and replaces it with a false self, in this case, a selfie.

The simple fact is that most of us suffer in one way or another, and in advanced prosperous societies we have the wherewithal disguise this unwelcome fact from ourself by creating a false self with selfies.

The false self is in response to the pain our self feels.

And the false self is so effective, we no longer feel the pain.

And there is nothing better than being part of a group based on the false self. With everyone around us being false, we can appear quite normal, even to ourselves.

I'm capturing a picture of myself in the moment. I just don't see how that's a "false self." I'm not changing how I look for the selfie. It's just me, right here, right now.

 

[human101]

I have no opinion on this topic.

 

[indra]

genuinely care about topic less than self takers themselves

 

[senza tema]

I don't find it to be a big deal when people do it, but still feel uncomfortable doing it myself. Hell, most of the time I feel awkward even captioning my photos of scenery.

Same. Paralyzing self-consciousness about revealing any act of creation.

 

[Numbly Aware]

Oh so pretty!

Douchebag.

 

[Jeremy8419]

Douchebag.

Awwww man....

 

[Lia_kat]

I also take selfies when I feel pretty and don't see anything wrong with it. However, when someone takes selfies repeatedly and that's the majority of their photos, then I start wondering. I agree with [MENTION=27890]Jeremy8419[/MENTION], usually it's low self-esteem and need for validation.

 

[Numbly Aware]

I also take selfies when I feel pretty and don't see anything wrong with it. However, when someone takes selfies repeatedly and that's the majority of their photos, then I start wondering. I agree with [MENTION=27890]Jeremy8419[/MENTION], usually it's low self-esteem and need for validation.

Are you saying low self-esteem and need for validation is negative?

 

[Lia_kat]

Are you saying low self-esteem and need for validation is negative?

If it makes someone do certain things (such as take numerous selfies to get approval from other people) in order to have a sense of self-worth, then yes.

 

[prplchknz]

I don't take selfies all the time, but I do sometimes take them. I think selfies only taken by narcissist is bullshit. Yeah I'm sure there are narcissists who take selfies. But stop making everything that you snub your nose at as either borderline,histrionic,or narcissitic because it's not. I don't like a lot of things but I don't need to attach a personality disorder to those things. I can't remember the last time I took a selfie maybe the last time I got my hair cut, which was back in december but my hair cut was awesome and it looks so good after. Do I think I'm the shit because i took the selfie? no I just think the stylist did a really good job and wanted to show it off. I'll also take selfies if someone wants to know what I look like. But most of the time I don't think about it.

 

[Poki]

Are you saying low self-esteem and need for validation is negative?

Overly excessive is a negative thing that you should work to fix. Selfies can help if it helps you realize accept your beauty due to others comments. Most people are narcisistic both before and after selfies. Selfies is just another tool for them. Its not the best way to judge a narcistitic person as its a small portion of everything a narcisistic person does. Now, talk all day long abput how good they look in the selfie, and on and on is a better indicator of narcisistic then someone who likes selfies.

 

[Poki]

If it makes someone do certain things (such as take numerous selfies to get approval from other people) in order to have a sense of self-worth, then yes.

That can actually be a positive thing as well. A cry for attention is only bad if anything done to fix it it dismissed because the person wants to stay at that state.

Its why you compliment people ona job well done. Fishing may be that the person isnt surrounded by people who do that. Its not a simple this or that.

 

[hjgbujhghg]

I think narcissism is currently more of a trend than anything else. Trend in a sense that we live in a time that almost appreciates narcissists and give them more motivation and opportunities to present themselves this way. Attention seeking behavior such as lot of selfies is more welcome than it used to be in a past. Narcissism is something that people even like to exaggerate and present as more or less a positive aspect of themselves.

 

[IndigoViolet11]

Selfies. Good. I take them, but usually with others holding the camera, if saying just photo of myself only. For myself holding the camera taking picture of me, I do but, only in special moments. There are significant difference between those who frwquently take pictures of themselves and throw them on web, and those who only do so in occassion. Lets say that one wants to leave a mark of their life events or so, and wanted to put value on certain stuff, that's fine so long as there is sufficient depth and content. But if otherwise, with very rare exception, I just wanted the past to go away and fly to the future instead, and I hate blueprints at times. I know many wanted memories, so maybe that is only me.

 

[ceecee]

Are you saying low self-esteem and need for validation is negative?

No of course not, everyone wants low self-esteem and a need for validation.

 

[Numbly Aware]

I don't take selfies all the time, but I do sometimes take them. I think selfies only taken by narcissist is bullshit. Yeah I'm sure there are narcissists who take selfies. But stop making everything that you snub your nose at as either borderline,histrionic,or narcissitic because it's not. I don't like a lot of things but I don't need to attach a personality disorder to those things. I can't remember the last time I took a selfie maybe the last time I got my hair cut, which was back in december but my hair cut was awesome and it looks so good after. Do I think I'm the shit because i took the selfie? no I just think the stylist did a really good job and wanted to show it off. I'll also take selfies if someone wants to know what I look like. But most of the time I don't think about it.

Yeah, some of us would like to show appreciation of ourselves, because who else will? I think of it like a girlfriend being proud of her boyfriend wanting to show him off. How would others like it if their close friends were afraid of showing them off? As if they're irrelevant. I see it as a form of love. Hey, I am proud and comfortable with my physical appearance so I want to prove it. The narcissist people I know don't take "selfies", they're too considered of how they look vs who they are. Now, when celebrities take pics, I get annoyed... maybe because they sell themselves out, or when others do it for attention.

Other than that, I think people who over exaggerate their pics are fucking adorable. Maybe that's why I like to watch parakeets talking to themselves. I see it as a form of art, or amusement.

 

[Cellmold]

If I do it once I'm expressing.

If I do it twice I'm reiterating.

If I do it thrice I am habituating

If I do it the forth I am panicking

If I do it the fifth I am desperate

If I do it the sixth I am insane

If I do it the seventh I am well again

If I do it the eighth, no one cares any more

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

 

[Cellmold]