SELF-IMAGE

Once walking through the twisted little streets of Kowloon in Hong Kong, I came upon a tattoo studio. In the window were displayed samples of the tattoos available. On the chest or arms you could have tattooed an anchor or flag or mermaid or whatever. But what struck me with force were three words that could be tattooed on one's flesh: Born to lose. I entered the shop in astonishment and pointing to those words, asked the Chinese tattoo artist, "Does anyone really have that terrible phrase, Born to lose, tattooed on his body." He replied, "Yes, sometimes." "But," I said, "I just can't believe that anyone in his right mind would do that." The Chinese man simply tapped his forehead and said in broken English, "Before tattoo on body, tattoo on mind."

Norman Vincent Peal in Power of the Plus Factor.

Charlie Chaplin once entered a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest in Monte Carlo--and came in third.

Unknown.

Lindy Chappoten, a pitcher of middling talents who played for the old Shawnee Hawks in the Class D Sooner League, was once traded to the Texarkana Bears for 20 uniforms.

Unknown.

Psychological studies establish that by age five a child has formed a fairly definite impression of himself. The same studies reveal that self-esteem is not closely related to social position, family work background, education or any combination of such factors. A young child sees himself from the reflections of those close to him, mainly his parents. How they react to his activities largely determines the self image he builds.

Jack Eicholz in Homemade, December, 1989.

If you would stand well with a great mind, leave him with a favorable impression of yourself; if with a little mind, leave him a favorable impression of himself.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Statistics and Research

13% of American women consider themselves pretty. 28% of American men think themselves handsome. 94% of American men would change something about their looks if they could. 99% of American women would change something about their looks if they could.

Daniel Evan Weiss, 100% American, quoted in Parade Magazine, December 31, 1989, p. 5.