Saturday, March 28, 2015

The Gaze

The Gaze is a very interesting topic to me, one that I actually find applicable in my life.

A quote that I have often heard is, "You are who you are when nobody's watching." This idea is interesting because it implies that the gaze of others changes how you act and the way you are. I know that I've experienced this before. If I know that someone I want to impress is watching me, I act differently because I want to seem more impressive than I really am.

Existentialism views the gaze as a reminder that, although we see ourselves subjectively, others objectify us. Usually when I notice people are looking at me, I don't think about subjectivity and objectivity. However, I do when it comes to guys looking at me. I don't really think about it when guys I know/am friends with look at me/talk to me, but when random guys on the street stare at girls, it feels very much like complete objectification. (Mostly because, let's just say, they aren't looking at our faces.) Has anyone else experienced this? (Guys included!)
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2 comments:

Unknown said...

Yes agreed! Probably because I feel like my close friends have already attempted to make judgments about me, but first impressions are usually said to be the most important. People can observe you and automatically make judgement, that is until they know you better!

March 28, 2015 at 9:27 PM
Sri Korrapati said...

It's so crazy how quantum mechanics can actually support this theory. An electron, when not watched has the properties of a wave, but when you observe it it has the properties of a particle. It's crazy to me that observing the electron changes its behavior because it implies that the electron knows your watching it.

March 28, 2015 at 10:20 PM

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