Naked in the garden

According to the Rev. Dr. David Gortner in a March 15 lecture in Mind, Habit, Change and Conversion, all human interactions are functioning with an unconscious undergirding of impression management and perception enhancement. In other words, unbeknownst to us, we are constantly working toward convincing others that we are somehow different than we are.

I found the concept sad. I extrapolated that all human interactions are based on feelings of inadequacy, or worse yet, manipulation and deception. I found it contrary to the actualization of our oneness with each other and the divine spark that illumines our lives.

I articulated my difficulty with the concept and Professor Gortner suggested that I could reframe my analysis and understand that human beings instinctively know that the “other” is very important to our individual well-being.

At first, the answer did not satisfy me. Then, I came to realize that the conflict was reconciled when I held the tension of being insecurely rooted in our humanness together with being able to touch our wholeness with the sacred through our relationships with others.

Additionally, as the human mind has the capacity to be the observer and to comment on the observation, I can also wonder how perception enhancement and impression management plays out in electronic interaction, exemplified, perhaps, with the practice of blogging.