Goodbye

Planning on staying home alone this year ~2004

Finished reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance ~ R. Pirsig. Also completed paper on Capitalism / Values / Identity in a digital religion age.

Just started Marked for Life: a story of disguise, discovery and redemption by Joie Davidow.
From the title you can infer it is a saddie ~ that is why I am going to take the weekend off to drown myself is a story about a girl that grows up with a mark on her face. Maybe I will hit the liquor store on the way home tonight.

I was reading over an old exerpt that I thought I did a pretty good job of capturing the meaning and essence of what the author wrote about. It would have made no sense to anyone but a reader of the novel -- very depressing.

Ironically (I have a way of doing this a lot), this has a lot to do with what the Zen and the . . . novel was all about.

Another Accident Again (AAA)

It was Saturday morning. There was no reason for me to rush. All I needed to do was to go to the gym. Everything was ironic. My only other plan was to return a library book.

The library opens late on Saturday so there was no point in going to the gym any earlier. But I saw the light changing and I pushed it.

I am reading Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974).
. . . and my whole theory on time, quality and rat race.

There is great strength in being able to do things in the present ‘Now’;
there is great strength in being able to defer doing things, if at all.

The other elements . . .
I would not have skidded if there was not any ice on the jug handle.
But at the same time, things could have been worse if the shoveled snow
had not cushioned the blow.

Naturally, I dance with death and walked away again unscathed.

Checked on the car directly after, then again across the street, later on at the gym and when I returned home later (aka. I did not save much time).

Above that . . .
I truly believe that I would not rush as much,
I would take things much slower / more carefully if I was in the company of others.
It is why I defer transportation responsibilities in the company of companions.

Even higher . . .
I definitely take the safer route if I was married
and a baby girl at home
and a baby boy coming in January.

To high Heaven . . .
But it would also mean that me as you know it would be dead.
The next day pondering, I picked up a book about “ . . .Sword . . “
in a passage . . . once you enjoy/treasure life then you are trapped and stop living.

Somewhere in my past, I cannot remember; somehow within me, I understand this.

It is why I let so many people go in my lifetime.
There are other reasons too . . .

I was arguing with Ollie about these research papers / writings I have been composing.
It occurred to me some time before or after Saturday that the things I write,
the message presented only has meaning because of the way in which I live life.
Else, I am just a hypocrite.

For now the essay has meaning.

Pirsig has written some things that gives substances
to an overall philosophical legacy of my life.
He has also torn down just about the entire structure of my being.
But that is another lesson.

I allow people in my life to root me.
I know it.
It is the dualism and the constant annihilation of myself
. . . keeping only the most rudimentary ideals that . . . that . . .
it is a path . . . not a goal ~ that is Zen.

Eulogy . . .
The paper is tearing me apart. Ayn Rand was as spiritual as Zen and you can almost see her ideals influence Peter Lynch / Warren Buffet and Robert Kiyosaki
(all influences in my paper).

a revelation

I was waiting for a dryer at the laundry mat.

There was this Spanish mother & daughter that had occupied seven of the eleven dryers. Plus one was ‘Out of Order’.

Obviously, they had a lot to wash.
But the thing that got me was that rich people do not need to rush.
They pounce on opportunities, yes.

There was a line from Elegance (Kathleen Tessaro) about how when Louise was forced to move slowly through the hustle & bustle she was noticed . . . it is the same for classy people.

A couple weeks ago I met Bill Sienkiewicz of ‘Superman’ comic fame. At one point, while I was waiting for an autograph chance (waited for over two hours) I overheard him talking about how at times creating & drawing meant letting go - - it had to become effortless.

When I questioned him about when / why did his work become so abstract, he was just splashing ink and spreading it with a sponge for effect, he told me it all depends on what he wants to accomplish in the work.

What a contrast to how other artist live and described the effort with which they struggled with perspectives, form in space and time.

I am embarking in a Zen primer derived from the Marketing Paper.

In a part of it I have managed to insult everyone I know, self included.

Rarely will I explain. Bear with me.

Many revisions - - I want to prove my point whether it changes your outlook or NOT.

Do you believe me when I swear that I do not care either way?

Beyond Vanity

Summary:

The roots of Reconstructive surgery began with the desire to correct congenital defects that hindered an individual from excelling in life.

In the early 1900’s, psychologists defined inferiority complex as an overcompensation due to a persistent sense of inadequacy.

The medical community evolved a solution to overcome the inferiority complex derived from physical differentiation by progressing cosmetic surgery. Cosmetic surgeons found a market composed of middle-aged women who were career-savvy but still had a persistent inferiority complex due to society’s over focus on youth as the ideal beauty. Hollywood, media and Madison Avenue fostered a skewed perspective where beauty standards were based upon their singular interpretation. Fitting–in under their criteria had increasingly taken on a Western standard.

The American public is desensitized to the psychological ramifications of beautification surgeries with the onslaught of reality television shows and drama series.

Epilogue:

“We now stand on the border of the Promised Land of integration. The old order is passing away and a new one is coming in. We should all accept this order and learn to live together as brothers in a world society, or we will all perish together.”

–Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., Remaining Awake Through a Revolution speech.

Background:

Ancient times

Plastic is derived from the Greek term “plastikos” meaning to mold or give form. Over 4,000 years ago, surgical procedures were developed to correct congenital defects and other deformities. For example, reconstructive surgery and joint replacement (arthritic hands) have been documented by physicians in India since 800 BC. Furthermore, medical treatments for facial injuries were of special interest.

The first reconstructive surgery textbook was authored by a surgeon named Gaspar Tagliacozzi (Italy, 1570’s). The text described basic skin graft techniques where a flap of skin was taken from the arm and used to reconstruct a missing nose. [1]

World War I

Plastic surgery gained its prominence in British hospitals during the First World War. ‘Plastic Surgery Units’ treated soldiers who were inflicted with extensive burns and injuries while in battle. Severe burns and gunshot wounds to the face forced surgeons to forge new techniques to treat and heal injured men. Doctors understood the return to civilian life meant that these men would need to feel that their self-image was not a mirror of the ravages left by time on the battlefields.

At home, the American Industrial Revolution transformed the country from a centralized rural community to an urbanized culture. In the urbanized environment, people were identified predominantly from a personality viewpoint or self-presentation whereas the individual from a rural area, his identity was rooted in family, traditions and localized community.


World War II

Plastic surgery served a similar role during World War II, but the medical community was tasked with more than restoring lost functions and the improving appearances. The disfigurement caused by the war almost certainly render a soldier economically dependant on societal charities. Doctors knew that reconstructive surgery was more than a treatment for physical aliments; surgery had to also play a psychotherapeutic role. Doctors understood the self-esteem of a mutilated soldier left only a fragmented civilian. At home, the media touted the “miracles” of plastic surgeries and “new beginnings” for the reconstructed soldier.

World War II also introduced women into the work force. In America, women were able to earn more than ever before. After the war, cosmetic surgeons began to heavily market their trade to middle-aged, middle-class working women. Simultaneously women in society were inclined to believe the Hollywood standard was the norm, and the Hollywood standard was youth.

American verse Aryan

World War I left Germany in economic despair that eventually fueled the hatred leading to World War II. Historians and psychologists who have studied the Holocaust attempted to examine why civilized communities could possibly carry out such acts of hatred. Furthermore, scholars have identified the patterns used to fuel the hate propagandas. The propaganda easily latch onto individuals who were clearly identifiable (distinguishable), and therefore, readily scapegoated the Jews. Traditionally, the characteristics of Judaism created many subsets in communities across Europe. The propaganda bastardized the Jewish traditions by spreading misinformation on their ability to succeed in both wealth and societal prominence.

Judaism is constructed in separateness; dietary laws and spiritual rituals resist integration and assimilation. This peculiar resistance to integrate made possible the Gestapo to demonize them as evil and sub-human. The mixture of differentiation (physical, dress, religious and cultural) with the blaming of past grievances (economics) and historical conflicts helped to sustain a purpose of hatred. [2]


Globalization:

Eugenic

Eugenic ideals can be traced back the philosophical beliefs of Gregor Mendel. Mendel’s philosophical science theorized that human improvement can be accomplished through genetic breeding. In the late nineteenth century, these ideals were used to defend segregation. Prominent sociologists suggested inter-racial coupling did not result in a favorable blend; instead the held belief was that mixing two different races would reverted the offspring’s gene’s to a more primitive, generalized or lower type stage.

Psychologist believes these prejudices continued to linger in American subcultural standards. The original European settlers devalued negative attributes such as disease, deformity and in general physical weakness. Another attribute frowned upon was skin color. Many races preferred light skin over dark; this phenomenon is even prevalent in dark-skinned races. For example in India, a stratification structure exists with a preference for lighter skin color.

The author of Venus Envy accumulated these ideas using Michael Jackson as an example. Elizabeth Haiken writes, “Jackson’s surgery also raises the larger issue of the role Americans have played in shaping these standards . . . cosmetic surgery has consistently focused on altering features that differentiate patients from a norm that is always implicitly, and often explicitly, understood to be not just Caucasian but Anglo-Saxon or Northern European.” [3]

Elective Surgery

Nose surgery was the most popular elective surgery in America post World War II. Elective surgeries were justified to help overcome an inferiority complex (attributed to Alfred Adler’s theory). Patients complained that their physical defects (which were self-imposed) would not allow them to compete for higher-salaried jobs that were found in urban environments. A poor perception of oneself sabotaged any opportunity for material gains. Self-improvement surgery was used as a way to remold and enhance oneself to compete economically in both personal and work environments.

An individual’s appearance is the determinant of success in modern life, where self-confidence becomes key to gaining opportunities. The most commonly cited reason to have cosmetic surgery is to better position oneself in today’s competitive market. Self-confidence may be the single advantage an individual can utilize while finding that work-life balance.

Cosmetic Surgery

The American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPRS) founding members created the first qualifying exam in the history of plastic surgery. Surgeons who practice in the United States are required to have a Medical Doctor (MD) degree, a minimum of five years of additional study and experience in an accredited general hospital, in addition to two more years experience as a resident in plastic surgery [1].

Aesthetic standards are increasingly marketed through Hollywood, media, satellite television and Madison Avenue. ‘Nip / Tuck’ is the brain-child of producer / creator Ryan Murphy. Mr. Murphy was obsessed with Plastic Surgery as a child. An obsession spawned by seeing Elizabeth Taylor / Henry Fonda in “Ash Wednesday”. The plot revolves around Ms. Taylor’s character who has a facelift in an effort to save her marriage. Mr. Murphy’s creation of the FX television series explores this premise by having the chief surgeon characters ask his patients: “Tell me what you don’t like about yourself.”

The creator wanted to explore the lengths that people would go to transform their lives through their appearances. Beyond the physical changes, the series focus on transformations in an intellectual and psychological sense. The drama is much more about “what people hate about themselves and why they hate themselves.” [4]

It is difficult to criticize the exploitation behind these television dramas when given the results of Stacey Hoffman. Ms. Hoffman participated in the show called ‘Extreme Makeover’. In an interview, she acknowledges that prior to the transformative surgery she had an extremely negative view towards herself, and basically hated herself. After having the surgery, she believed that this was the cause of her new outlook on life. The makeover “enabled” her to lose weight, and people now notice her because of the way she carries herself. Executive show producer, Howard Schultz, claimed, “We are looking for strong, confident people who were dealt a bad deck of cards in the looks department.” Advocates of transformative surgery deem it necessary to combat the negative effects of suffering an inferiority complex. As was the case in the early twentieth century, the decision to alter one’s face, body and appearance has become a sign of strength – a psychologically healthy response to the requirement of the modern world.

Cosmetic surgery critics claim, “[Surgical procedures are] the pervasive influence of American culture on women’s self-esteems worldwide, especially with the expanding reach of the Internet.” A sentiment voice by Dina Gan, editor-in-chief of A Magazine, “It’s terrible that global culture has made the Western standard of beauty so predominant that Asian women feel they have to go under the knife to achieve that standard.” [5]

Oriental Marketing

In Asia, patients are increasingly asking their surgeons for features not inherent of the Asian race: wider eyes, longer legs, defined noses and fuller breasts. A 1990’s study shows that attractiveness is a commodity in the workplace. Researchers found that attractive people made nearly twelve percent more than their counterpart.

Thousands of young Chinese take advantage of a surgical procedure originally developed in Russia to help patients with legs disfigured by accidents or birth defects. In a country that has hundreds of qualified applicants for every job, height minimums are one way to whittle down the competition. For these men and women the main purpose of the operation is not an improvement to their physical health; it is to help their psychological growth. Physicians cut the shin bone, affix a metal brace pinned to the patients leg; the brace slowly stretches newly formed bone tissue to lengthen a person’s earning potential [6].

Another popular procedure in Asia is Blepharopasty done to reduce the appearance of droopy, tired eyes. The cosmetic procedure has become culturally ingrained in many Asian societies. The prevalence of procedures done on the younger population has parents worried that if their child does not conform then they will fall behind both academically and aesthetically [7].

In Korea, doctors developed a procedure that would sever the nerve behind the knee that runs the fluid into muscles will help wither-away the muscles mass to give self-conscious youths the skinny leggy look. An alternative is to surgically cut the protruding muscle from calves. Despite the risk of mobility, many Korean women are flocking to have these procedures [8].

Many South Koreans are taking drastic measures to remain competitive in a country where speaking the language of global business equal upward mobility. Many parents are willing to pay for surgical procedures to perfect their children’s English pronunciation. The surgery takes half an inch off the frenulum (the strap of tissue linking the tongue to the floor of the mouth), making the tongue more flexible. [9]


Aesthetic Surgery

Surgeons regularly employ cosmetic surgery because first impressions matter and increasingly societies are reinventing themselves to appear Caucasian. Attractive features cumulate in a favorable overall impression.

In the modern economy, all the various internal / external elements must be harmonized. A company communicates and markets themselves even beyond their products and raw commodities. This even includes the self confidence, manner, neatness and dress of their sales force and even the company’s choice of stationery provide an impression for their customers.

Brand recognition requires differentiation in the marketplace. Companies conduct focus groups and market research to develop cultural experiences associated with brands. While the goal of self-marketing through the use of surgery places ethnic anonymity as the ultimate achievement [10].

Conclusion:

L. P. Hartley wrote about a society where no one looked different from one another. In Facial Justice, the government decree all faces to be the same in an attempt to bring about equality. The society broke down. The intended moral is that individual equality lies from within and not without differences.

Cosmetic surgeries diverge from traditional medical practices because the patient is physically healthy but chooses to be operated on. Elizabeth Haiken points out, “Yet there is an irony here too, in that economic success that has made it possible for more Americans to entertain the idea of cosmetic surgery has not engendered the confidence that leads to self-acceptance.” [3]

Ideally intelligence, vitality, wit and self-determination should be the standard with which to judge every person. Our culture has engrained a belief that women are attractive only in their youth with European features and Barbie-doll measurements. Even though breast implants have been linked to many dangerous consequences (i.e. formation of capsule, fibrous scar tissues, pain and loss of sensation) are still not fully understood, many women elect to augment their bodies because they felt inadequate with regards to their body image. The remarkable psychological effects physical changes have on patients are undeniable. The need for changes based upon advertising, propaganda and Hollywood ideals should be addressed by patients and psychologist through therapy. The belief that talent, accomplishments, charm and intelligence increase with age is outdated in a global economy without identity. [11]

References

[1] History of Plastic Surgery, Board of Certified Plastic Surgeon Resource, copyright 2001-2003

[2] Hatred: the psychological descent into violence, Willard Gaylin, Public Affair, 2003.

[3] Venus Envy: a history of cosmetic surgery, Elizabeth Haiken, John Hopkins University Press, 1997.

[4] ‘Nip/Tuck’ is not all blood and cuts: FX’s surgical success is more about the transformations, show’s creator says by Gary Levin, USA Today, 21 October 2003.

[5] In the Eye of the Beholder?: Eyelid surgery and Young Asian-American Women, Shirley Lin, Wiretap, March 2001.

[6] High Hopes: In the race to get ahead some Chinese women are going to drastic lengths by Hannah Beech, 25 August 2003, Times.

[7] Peer Pressure Plastic: Kids gotta have it too, Chisu Ko, Times

[8] Some Korean Women go to Great Lengths to Show a Little Leg, Asian Wall Street Journal, February 2001

[9] South Korean flock to pronunciation surgery, Reuter, 21 October 2003.

[10] Marketing Management, 11th edition, Philip Kotler, Prentice Hall, 2003.

[11] Seductress: Women who Ravished the World and Their Lost Art of Love, Betsy Prioleau, Viking, 2003.