Mirror Effect —

There goes a saying, “The mirror never lies.” But on various occasions we force the mirror to tell a lie. The truth is, we by ourselves are telling a lie to us but consoling falsely that this been revealed by the mirror. Firstly, about the availability of mirror at the present scenario.  It’s supply is in abundance as a cosmetic accessory, but it was not so easily with in the access of common people in the past, as it seems available every where today. The period of time, I am talking of, belongs to the era about forty to forty – five years ago. Specifically, the availability of mirror was not so common in the country side and up to a great extent in Urban areas, it was out of the reach of common people to own a life-sized mirror glass as an accessory cosmetic Item, as we witness in every house hold today.

At that period of time people generally owned small, full post card sized, portable, handy mirror glass. This small sized mirror hardly could reflect the image of the face of a man when held in the hand. By looking in it, man happened to comb the hair and shave the beard only. Whilst woman could take a little help to adjust some make up on her face. The common people, at that time could only afford this item in the name of luxury. Gradually, with the recession in poverty level, a trend to gift a dressing-table equipped with life sized mirror glass”  began to be gifted in our Indian culture. This piece of furniture was  so helpful to look at the entire front appearance and side as well back profile of a person in wide spectrum. For a given long period of time, to own such type of furniture piece in the house was a status symbol of the middle class society. I know, to day this may sound weird.

There after, with the passing of time, influx of money raised every where, this made supply of life – sized mirror glass easier in almost every house hold. People began to install the mirror glasses in wash room, on the door flanks of almirah and half-sized portrait mirror glass on the wash basin. Today, almost every middle class family own such glasses in common. Even, lower income class people easily possesses at least dressing table in the house. Not only this, every shop of clothier, shoe vendor, tailor and of cosmetic items etc we find installed with such life sized mirror glasses as a necessity. I remember, in those old days, some kiosks of beetle leaf ( Pan beeda) cum cigarette vendor  too happened to install a full length mirror glass on the inner side back wall of the kiosk. It was the part of business tactics to attract the customers.

Customer happened to buy beetle-leaf prepared by the vendor and used to put it into his mouth with an stylish tenderness by watching himself in the mirror. Then customer too lit the cigarette with some assumed coquettish and smoked that standing before the mirror, emitting rings of smoke in some heroic style. This demeanor helped customer feel somewhat smarter in his own eyes. This process of smoking ever provided a feeling of tranquil and relief to customer. The same feelings, every one   experiences by looking at himself daily, standing before the life sized mirror glass at his home. I initiated this blog, ‘mirror never lies,” but man forces it to tell that. This phenomenon begins by watching one self inside the home. I try to make it comprehensible with an example.

Every person is supposed to have a deep liking for his or her favorite iconic cine hero or heroin ( in case of woman,) pertaining to style of life. Under this impression, to impress others, every such person happens to imitate the style of such cine icon. In this process, he or she tries to adopt same type of behavior, hair-style, attire, gait or body language etc. This helps him to take himself akin to his or her iconic cine star. Even, if he or she is not like the cine star in bodily posture, but by having a “hair-style” and costumes, he or she can easily afford to give the impression by imitation. Now, standing before the mirror , he or she in a false impression begin to assume himself as a film star. This is enough to sooth such watcher and as such he forces the mirror to tell a lie which he by himself telling to him only.

Just look around you. You may certainly find uncountable cheap editions of such film stars having an imitation in costume and hair style. Further, I don’t know about youth of other countries, but in our India for more than one past decade, a fashion is trending of body building, sheer in imitation to the iconic film stars to build a muscular physique. I am not sure, whether they are inspired from the angle of health issues. But, it’s certain, their motive is to be in possession of a muscular and shaped body like their cinematic icon. In every city, a good deal of numbers of gyms have mushroomed up to support this myth. It has become a passion in youth.

In this blind  race to gain the same figure, youth is not hesitating to consume the steroid, even if, it may harmfully effect their body. In every condition, every youth needs a muscular bodily appearance and as supplant of protein diet, he is consuming steroid powder  irregularly as nutrients.   In the name of gym practice, a collateral business of “protein diet cum steroid powder” too has been flourished. Every such gym is equipped with life-sized mirror glasses. By looking in these mirrors, every gym-goer is telling a lie to himself, ” Look bro! My ebbs, my broad, swelled chest, my biceps are in resemblance to my favorite film star!” There is another thing, at the same, mirror glass is trying to say the truth, ” No brother, it’s not like that! The truth is, when you work hard here, your body swells temporarily. Secondly, as a mirror, I warn you, I give a bigger size reflection of your appearance than you are!” But a gym rat is not eager to give ears to this truth. This phenomenon, in fact is a suitable paradigm of mirror effect.

When we undergo through this process of looking at our selves. It’s like deploying ourselves before the mirror. We may call it “self-erratic deployment.” Along with, in this way, a mirror helps a man fall prey to the Narcissism. An another feature of mirror is, it helps every person to find some imaginary attraction or beauty in  himself. This is another bitter fact, when such person under imaginary false grip of impression steps out of the house, no one  takes notice of his. He is bound to get dissolved in the crowd of people. Of course, a selected number of people are blessed by god to have a handsome and charming personality. They need not to watch themselves before the mirror as other common people do.

But situation regard women is altogether at  a different level. A woman, whether be a cute or not, she ever remains fascinated with the mirror watching. She, in her diurnal activities is certain to get entangled with the mirror with as many times as occasions provide her to confront with the mirror. Even a house wife, when she is free from her house hold affairs, she passes her quality time by watching herself before the mirror like a narcissist. The real magic of mirror we find in such situation.

Whilst a man on growing old, often feels a disliking in watching into mirror but a woman never gets distracted from the mirror, no matter how older she has grown. A woman is created by the god to deny the bitter truth revealed by the mirror. What soever older she may be, but before the mirror, she ably solaces herself by finding some heart loving false impressions either. If nothing else, then in her present older reflection, she ably reminisces the flash back of the bygone age when she was sweet sixteen.

At the juncture of concluding of this post, I would like to share with you the majestic impression of the mirror-effect. We are greatly used to watch ourselves daily in the mirror glass. This mirror may be at our home or at work place etc.  Since, we watch ourselves regularly and in casual routine, this frequent watching unable us to notice some important changes in our appearance undergoing through with the passing of time. These changes ever take place in our appearance and need micro observation. We think, we are as same as we were at yesterday. But it’s not so! If you intend to notice this sort of changes in your person, you will opt for this test. For the purpose, you need to choose the house of your some friend or relatives who stays at some considerable distance from your residence. I mean, a place where you don’t visit frequently. Firstly, you visit that place at a fix day and watch yourself intently and with keen eyes before the dressing-table glass installed there, at least for fifteen minutes.

Next time you should visit the same place after a gap of period of time of six months or more. Now again look at youself intently before the same mirror glass. Certainly, you at once will capture the “slight minor or major changes” in a  your appearance which appeared in last six months. It’s an experience like meeting  with your some friend after six months; whom on meeting, you at once ejaculate, ” Oh!   friend , you have improved your health or you have grown poor in appearance!” This occurs because of a fact. Every mirror, in itself has got its own different “silver plating.” It’s like a unique signature of every mirror. Otherwise a general perception prevails that all mirrors reflect the same image of a person. But it’s not that in sooth. Then you by yourself will experience the authenticity of the saying, “Mirror never lies.” Penned By — Vinay Pharasi —–