Appearances

The discrepancy between appearances and reality has long fascinated me. As I write this, I cannot think of a single example of something or someone that is exactly as it presents itself to be. Myself included. Intentional or not, it seems everything and everyone has a little something to hide.

I don’t recall exactly when I came to this conclusion. I imagine it was a gradual process. But I do know that it has been bittersweet.

Though it took away some of the “magic” that life once held for me, it also keeps me from falling for many of the illusions that are dangled before me every day. And since the “magic” I lost was merely illusion, perhaps I haven’t lost much at all. If so, I’m glad, because as the saying goes, there is no return to ignorance.

I was reminded of this notion - that things aren’t necessarily what they appear to be - when I saw this article about Mother Teresa:

Mother Teresa’s Crisis of Faith

As the article states, these revelations will meet with very different interpretations. But I believe one conclusion is inevitable: there was a discrepancy between appearances and reality.

Does this shock you? It doesn’t shock me. I believe it is simply part of the human condition. That is, it is universal. If so, we might stand to gain something by accepting it as such.

To me, the biggest benefit of doing so isn’t that we are less likely to be fooled by the appearances of others, it is that we are more likely to accept ourselves in comparison to others.

Looking up to others for inspiration is one thing. Belittling ourselves based on illusions is quite another.

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2007 at 11:20 AM

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