Mirror Mirror, On The Wall

In Jacques Lacan’s “The Mirror Stage As Formative” he explains what happens to us as babies during what he calls “the mirror stage” and why it has an impact on our entire adult lives. He says that when infants reach a certain age, approximately six to eighteen months, they are finally able to recognize themselves in a mirror. This may just seem like a cute, non-important milestone however that is not the case. Once babies reach this stage, it has a crucial affect on their mental development. Lacan says that up until that point, babies have a very limited understanding of the world. They know the faces, smells and sounds of their loved ones but they do not actually know themselves, nor do they really care. Once they have an image of what they look like, this image will stay with them and help them make sense of their world. They have the version of themselves in their heads and then once they can understand the image in the mirror they have a complete, whole picture of themselves. Lacan also addresses the fact that if the image in their minds do not mesh with the image in the reflection, it can cause a lacking “sense of self.” I think that what this stage actually means is that this is when babies become actual humans.

One of the main components that separates us as humans from animals is that we are aware that people have their own perceptions of us and once we are able to recognize how we look from the exterior, that is not only important but tends to matter a lot to us. I think that this concept applies to people of any age. For example, in movies or TV shows whenever a character needs to do a little bit of self-reflection, it shows them looking into a mirror, deep in thought. This idea of seeing ourselves from the exterior can cause us to take a minute and try to gather and align our sense of self with our actual self. Does someone seriously not recognize their actions until they look in a mirror? No! people think and make conscious decisions constantly. Why do we need to view ourselves from the outside to have a complete sense of self? Humans care what other humans think. It is as simple as that. Additionally, coming from a Nietzsche perspective, we are told from very early on what is “right” and what is “wrong” and we grow up with regulations and structures already in place. We act accordingly, or don’t, but regardless of what we do, we are aware of how society views the world and what the shared basic beliefs are. In comparison, animals do not act based on the presumptions of others, they act strictly from within. They never do anything to please other animals or say things because they are polite. As humans, because we are aware that people have their own perceptions of us, we habitually tend to view ourselves from the outside-in. This need for people to accept, like, approve, agree etc. with us is really just a need for us to improve our own self-image and so that the views we have of ourselves are accurate with how the world sees us.

Once babies reach this “mirror stage” I think that this is simply when they become different than animals. This is when they begin the path of being human. They are able to view themselves from the exterior and from then on they will have the struggle that all humans share of trying to align our self images with our actual selves.