Image and Identity Explained

What is Image?

Image profiling is the process of analyzing and understanding your true self - your inner self, your original design or essence.

Image, derived from old French ‘image’, means picture. Our self-image is how we see ourselves, our personal perception of who we are when we look in the mirror. However, this perception is often distorted by our subjective view, meaning it doesn't always reflect reality.

D. W. Winnicott referred to this distorted view as the ‘False Self’. To learn your true self, you have to look beyond what is visible to your unconscious, invisible self.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall.

The False Self

The false self or persona is an idealized image and external self which is deeply embedded, formed mostly in our earlier years, as we adapted to our upbringing, environment and personal circumstances. It is a blend of who we evolved into to fulfill our needs, to comfort ourselves, or to adjust our behavior to satisfy others. It helped us navigate the demands of society - our family, culture or tribe. It provided security and acceptance, and often success. However, it is a persona and front, and superficial and at odds with our natural self, and doesn’t ultimately get us what we want. This can lead to a continuous struggle between our false and true selves, leaving us in a perplexed state and questioning, “What do I truly want?” 

The Shadow Self

Those aspects of ourselves that we hide or disguise, like hidden memorabilia in our closet, are, what Carl Jung referred to as, the ‘Shadow Self’. Maybe that part of ourselves has been ridiculed, or it's feared, or it's very different from our peers or at odds with our family So, we deny and ignore it. This is why it may come as a surprise to others when at times we do reveal that side of ourselves, as it can appear out of context and unfamiliar. Like a party trick we perform only on special occasions.

When you look in the mirror, you see what you perceive about yourself.

The True Self

The persona is the surface level expression of our mind or ego. Our true self, on the other hand, is the root self and inner self. Some refer to it as our soul self, as it the most sacred part of us and our hidden root self, and some believe it is what connects us to the universal source.

In Judaism, there is a term Hineni which means ‘Here I Am’. It refers to the relinquishing of the ego and the allowing of our divine nature to come forward. It is the giving up of of the indulgences and impulses that pull us in this physical world, and instead allow ourselves to be who we were always intended to be. Through this process, the true self reveals itself as we relinquish the false self.

To connect to our true self, we need to dismantle the illusory barrier that confines the ordinary person to connect with our extraordinary nature. Discarding or detaching from what we know to be true may be disconcerting, but releasing false pretenses allows us to inhabit that truer part of ourselves. We can start to become aware of those elements of ourselves that we are unconscious of and see ourselves in a new way. It's a change in perspective and required objectivity.

As you embark on this journey, keep in mind that the most reason for discovering your Image Type is to be yourself. This is more than a visual identity, it's about connecting to your unconscious self and letting your true self shine.

An Archetype or Color Consult is the quickest way to achieve this and we look forward to helping you on this journey.

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