I like you because you look like me: the psychology of why we’re attracted to things
This morning on my rollerblade, I came across this guy that I must have passed a zillion times, just him and his dog. Usually I’m going by so fast, he’s basically a blur, but the wind was fierce this morning, slowing me down and giving me quite the glimpse. And here’s what I found out: this man looks exactly like his schnauzer. I mean exactly. Right down to the gray bushy eyebrows and poofy mustache.
I wish I’d had my phone to take a picture for you, but what was I going to say, “Excuse me, your resemblance to your dog is simply uncanny, may I document it with my Blackberry and post it on Twitter?”
This is not news, we’ve all heard about this phenomenon before and seen plenty of pictures (like the one I found for this post). And they always make me hope that I look like my dogs – because they’re both simply beautiful. This morning’s sighting did the same. So there I was, imagining my picture next to Baloula’s and Silas’ furry mugs and wondering why someone would buy a schnauzer anyway (I’m a big dog kinda girl) and thinking about how odd it really is that people look like their dogs…
When it hit me.
Maybe we choose our particular dog because s/he looks like us. And (totally guessing this is subconscious) we think the dog is cute/beautiful/irresistible because we’re seeing ourselves in the dog. Like how we think our own children are beautiful – duh, because they look like us.
Is that how we pick our friends? Our lovers? The careers we want to have? Our clothes? The blogs we read? Our food? The authors we love? Our favorite writing platforms? Of course – in many cases – not because they look like us, but because the act like us, vibe like us, feel like us…or who we want to be.
Is it all just narcissism? Or maybe we could classify it as a pristine edition of self-love.
Image credit: examiner.com
Filed under Myth or Reality | Tags: dogs, narcisism, self-love, writer, Writing | Comments (20)is web 2.0 a pyramid scheme? and introducing my assistant
Is Web 2.0 a Pyramid Scheme?
I had a very interesting meeting with a talented Vineyard artist this week. And I was explaining life on the web and the concept of broadcasting to your network (Twitter, Facebook, other blogs, your blog) and how your network will tell their networks and on and on – viral, word of mouth, relationship marketing. He looked right at me and said, ‘So it’s kind of like a pyramid scheme.’ I nearly fell off my chair.
I’ve been thinking about this ever since – rather obsessively and a bit defensively. I mean, it isn’t anything like a pyramid scheme. But there are some parallels. Right? For instance, if I imagine myself at the top of a, um, triangle, I reach out to my 5 networks below, then each of them reach out to their 5 networks, then each of them reach out to their 5 networks…it broadens as it goes. I see his point.
But the Web 2.0 marketing I do isn’t sleazy. Oops, did I just say that out loud? Me and my big mouth. But the way some people do it is sleazy – which may, in the end, lend itself to being scene as a pyramid scheme. Interesting, very interesting. Your thoughts?
And, now, after millions, hundreds, quite a few requests, I’m pleased to introduce…
My dog assistant. His name is Silas, he’s an American Field Lab, he’s 5 1/2 years old, he acts like he’s 5 1/2 months old. He believes truly and firmly that he is a lap dog…and that he rules the universe. He is the funniest dog I’ve ever met. And he insisted that I let him wear the Super Silas cape. His nickname is Merpikulis, though his best friend – my 2 year-old daughter, Sophie – calls him Siley and Merpikey.
He thinks he is a guru which explains why he’s on a yoga mat in this picture. I am delighted that he nearly knocks me over in a valiant and selfish way every morning in order to get past me, and then be first to get to the office. I love it when he lays his head on my feet and sleeps while I work.
His paws smell like Fritos and his head smells like an oatmeal cookie. His ears were put on crooked, so one lays back a bit, while the other has a tighter fold. His nose is pink – and my mom thinks that it isn’t sewn down all the way around. He has an over active tongue that earned him yet another nickname – Licky McSmooch.
He has an older canine sister named Baloula who is 1/2 golden, 1/2 lab and has 15 lbs on him. And he will go to any length to knock her out of the way if she is getting attention from any human. He also cleans her ears, eyes and face daily, gently and meticulously.
One of his super powers is that he can tiptoe. I kid you not that if he wants to get somewhere without us knowing (like upstairs when the vet arrives at our house – yes, we have a home visiting vet and it ROCKS), he can tiptoe without letting his nails touch the floor, without making a sound. It is amazing.
He is perfect.
Filed under Marketing, News | Tags: blog, Blogging, copywriter, copywriting, dogs, Facebook, Julie Roads, marketing writer, pyramid marketing, pyramid scheme, Social Media, Twitter, Writing Roads, yellow lab | Comments (6)
