Reflections

 Man’s tryst with the mirror perhaps began at the dawn of civilisation.

Our history fables myths and records have ample references to this wonderful article which has the ability to reflect the object in front of it with impeccable honesty.

Perhaps, man was introduced to the concept of mirror when he first saw his reflection in still waters. The famous Greek myth about Narcissus- a Roman god who happened to look at his reflection in the still waters and fell in love with himself is one of the earliest recorded chronicles. Over a period of time man resorted to using polished metals in the place of mirrors. The glass mirror that we use today was as a result of several experiments conducted by man over the ages. There are several beliefs and superstitions associated with the mirror which has been a source of mystery and joy to mankind. While the concave and the convex mirrors helped man to laugh at himself the surgical mirror helped him to correct medical problems of man. The rear view mirror used in vehicles prevents accidents.  

 When we zero in to circa 2015, it is not difficult to see that not much has changed. Perhaps we are not looking into still waters to admire ourselves. That is because we have the luxury of full length mirrors and pocket mirrors at our disposal. Despite having mirror options in our latest gizmos, how many times have we not lingered alongside a mirror of a parked vehicle on the roadside and have given ourselves a quick glance or smoothed our hair?

Our rendezvous with mirrors begins when we are mere infants. Then, our images fill us with awe and wonder. As we grow up, the mirror helps us record our changes and experiment with our expressions. The waking hours of our adolescent years find us stationed in front of these reflectors for indefinite lengths of time. Growing older does little to help us overcome the mirror fixation. When the mirror sensitizes us about the transient nature of the prime years of our life, each of us reacts differently. Some of us gear up to age gracefully, while some of us long to rewind the clock by carefully correcting our facial and physical flaws with its aid. Then there are some of us who gear up to wage a war against time and nature.

Those of us who are under the impression, that this is a new age syndrome, will do well to stand corrected. The world has always been a motley collection of the good, bad and the ugly. Our psychic connection to our external looks actually holds a mirror to our character.

For instance, in the famous fairytale Snow White the lovely child heroine was subjected to substantial tortures by her step mother because of a magic mirror. The step mother of snow white was happy with the answers of the mirror as long as she was pronounced to be the “fairest in the land.” The moment the mirror failed to commensurate to her anticipation, her dormant ugliness raised its ugly head. She could not accept the verdict that her step daughter was the most beautiful person in the land. The old queen was unable to accept the truth about her loss of beauty that happens with ageing. It evoked the beast in her. When all her evil plans failed, she shattered the mirror out of sheer frustration. Most of us are like the exasperated queen. Unquestionably we crave to look presentable even if not beautiful when we look at our images. It happens to be psychologically the quintessential requisition of man and his expectation of mirrors.

Back home in India our Ramayana has an incident in which Dasharatha the king of Ayodhya sights his graying hair in the mirror one morning and understands that he is ageing and decides to coronate his son Rama as the crown prince.

No matter how vain we are about our appearances we know that the taskmaster mirror will not pander to our whims and fancies. Yet the “mirror image” is not exact because it has interchanged left for right and vice versa following the laws of reflection. Perhaps it is a cue for us to be alert and not be carried away by appearances. For, true beauty is reflected in the quality of our souls which mirrors our very being.