case? Who is to say which is the truth? Is Lormerin more awake at the end of the story than he is at the beginning? Is his perception of himself as an unappealing old man more truthful than the one he has earlier that day? What has shifted is Lormerin’s identity which is a function of his perception. As stated earlier, perception is not inherently reality and as such we cannot say that one perception is any more or less real than another. We may thus conclude that the two Lormerins, the one at the beginning and the one at the end of the story, are equally real or unreal. It’s not a matter of reality but a matter of perception. The realization Lormerin has had is not, as some may like to maintain, a wakeup call. It is not a revelation at all. As a narcissist, Lormerin is trapped in a rather juvenile preoccupation with his appearance and, because he has made this the focal point of his identity, has allowed Lise to undermine his self confidence. What we regard as real may simply be a function of perception. Lormerin’s identity is the result of how he sees himself. Of the two images he sees reflected in the mirror, neither is more or less real than the other. It is in this regard that reality is no more singular than the we might see reflected in the facets of a diamond. There are as many realities as there are facets. When all is said and done, we remain an ever shifting kaleidoscope. Like Lormerin, we have as many selves as we have perceptions. Lormerin’s despair is rooted in the belief that only the last image he sees is the real one. We might offer him and ourselves the consolation that our self image is one of our own making. In this respect, we are free to see ourselves as we choose and to create an identity of our own making. Had Lormerin thought of this, perhaps he would not have been as vulnerable as he was. The real Lormerin would not have been the one engendered by Lise’s manipulative behavior but rather the one he had for so long chosen to enjoy. In the end, our sense of self is an act of faith. Our identity is the one we create.
case? Who is to say which is the truth? Is Lormerin more awake at the end of the story than he is at the beginning? Is his perception of himself as an unappealing old man more truthful than the one he has earlier that day? What has shifted is Lormerin’s identity which is a function of his perception. As stated earlier, perception is not inherently reality and as such we cannot say that one perception is any more or less real than another. We may thus conclude that the two Lormerins, the one at the beginning and the one at the end of the story, are equally real or unreal. It’s not a matter of reality but a matter of perception. The realization Lormerin has had is not, as some may like to maintain, a wakeup call. It is not a revelation at all. As a narcissist, Lormerin is trapped in a rather juvenile preoccupation with his appearance and, because he has made this the focal point of his identity, has allowed Lise to undermine his self confidence. What we regard as real may simply be a function of perception. Lormerin’s identity is the result of how he sees himself. Of the two images he sees reflected in the mirror, neither is more or less real than the other. It is in this regard that reality is no more singular than the we might see reflected in the facets of a diamond. There are as many realities as there are facets. When all is said and done, we remain an ever shifting kaleidoscope. Like Lormerin, we have as many selves as we have perceptions. Lormerin’s despair is rooted in the belief that only the last image he sees is the real one. We might offer him and ourselves the consolation that our self image is one of our own making. In this respect, we are free to see ourselves as we choose and to create an identity of our own making. Had Lormerin thought of this, perhaps he would not have been as vulnerable as he was. The real Lormerin would not have been the one engendered by Lise’s manipulative behavior but rather the one he had for so long chosen to enjoy. In the end, our sense of self is an act of faith. Our identity is the one we create.