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| Kylie Minogue |
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I have outlined an analysis of my experience with my interests and wonder if I am accurate in what I have come up with. I have not fully developed my ideas, so, please, feel free to tell me what you may think, whether I am headed in a profitable direction or you think I am on crack. All of this is my own ideas, so also, if you've heard some other studies or things like this, I'd be interested in knowing. Or, perhaps, you think this is all crap and goes without saying. Much of my intrigue with this topic stems from my work in acting. It would make sense to me that much could be figured about a character by looking at their interests, if given in the script.
A few months ago, I wrote an extensive paper on Kylie Minogue's song "All the Lovers," in which I analyzed the general message of her music (that paper can be found
here). In my argument that she explored themes of love and vulnerability, I could not help but see deeper similarities between her and myself as I perused over her music in search of the themes she conveys. I saw that I valued many of the messages often presented in her music. Previously, I had been liking her music, but never had I explored why I may be drawn to it in the extent that I have. This led me to look at my other favorite music artists, like Shania Twain and The Corrs, and explore their common themes. At this time of analysis, I was exploring the music of Daniel Bedingfield and found a commonality with him, too. Of these artists--Minogue, Twain, Corrs, and Bedingfield--I found that all were
sensual/sensuous persons with sultry vocals and hopeless romantic personalities undertoned with cheeky sass. They all (with possible exception of Bedingfield; I'm not sure) have been known as
classy figures associated with elegance. Also, every diehard Corrs fan I have met is a
fun-loving, loyal, gentle, and soft-spoken romantic. From the interviews I have seen of the four sibling Corrs, I sense that each one matches this definition, as well.
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| The Corrs |
Feeling I matched these descriptions ("sultry vocals," perhaps, is debatable), I concluded that
our interests are means of validating perceptions of ourselves and what we desire to become.
In a sense (this is probably my weakest, least informed point), my argument is that our natural interests are reflective of Sigmund Freud's concept of the id--that is, unfiltered, natural desire--and ego--the realistic reasoning side of a person.
Perhaps, the need for deep-rooted interests with emotional connection comes from the superego's correction of the id (superego does this so we behave in a manner befitting society). Because of the actions of the superego, the ego can become confused. This is where interests come into play. When the ego is needing validation in balancing the id and superego, it turns to interests. In such, it finds safety and security in things that satisfy id while accomplishing superego.
Recently, in a class discussing the Doctrine and Covenants (some of the modern scriptures from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in which I am enrolled, we discussed the
88th Section, verse 40, which reads, "For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own." Basically, everything is attracted to its own; everyone is attracted to those like them. This makes total sense that people would be attracted to things that are like them. Their interests are reflective of who they perceive themselves to be or what they want to be.
Interests give identity. They assure us of who we are. More can be said of us by our interests than we give credit for. SO MUCH of how we use interests as a means of identity goes
unnoticed and is
subconscious, just as how Minogue's music appealed to me, yet I did not fully seek to answer why. Further, it wasn't until
after I had carefully selected and included these pictures of Minogue, The Corrs, and Twain in this blog post that I realized a similar
theme of light in all of them. I'm sure something can be said about that.
The purpose I find in exploring our interests and attractions is to discover what roles those interests play in developing our identities.
An example may be those who are interested in the
hobby of hunting. It seems reasonable to say those individuals desire to be providers. They believe themselves to be providers, or they desire to someday become providers, and bringing home a kill expresses and re-establishes that desire and identity for them. (Of course, there are also other identity establishments that can draw people to hunting.)
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| Shania Twain |
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Our (desired) identity certainly says something for the people we desire as
friends and with whom we attempt to reach out to, as well as whom we choose as a mate. Those in positions of popular desire, whether based on wealth, celebrity, talent, physical appearance, or whatever else, are commonly bombarded with social opportunities and interactions, because people's interests in them are driven by the desire to see those qualities in themselves. Someone's interest in a person could also be driven by the perceived identity that person gives them, whether by association with or by certain interactions received from that person. Also, just as my connection and interest with The Corrs and others celebrity artists, every person idolizes their own A-listers based on qualities they see in themselves or qualities they wish to see. It seems safe to say that one recognizes, even subconsciously, a certain likeness with or is fondly reminded of someone else like their favorite celebrities, actors, writers, fictional characters, etc.
Family is an essential part of one's identity. Our interest in them, then, is to validate and design our perceived identity. From an early age, our family unit, no matter how formed, trains and shapes the identity we take. If among our biological family, this is especially key, as we see similarities in how we look and how we behave temperamentally. Children, especially, are in the stage of developing an identity and often turn to their parents for guidance through the means of mimicry. Commonly, one of the parents is chosen by the child, more prevalently than the other, and as the child gets older, they speak most often about the parent they are most like. After all, this parent is of most interest to them, as they have established the earliest forms of their identity around this parent. To speak of them gives validity to oneself. However, these interests are among all family relationships, whether it be parent to child, sibling to sibling, aunt to nephew, or any other relationship. Seeing these similarities drive our interests to associate with them and, in turn, love and be loved by them. They form a facet of our identity, which interests us to seek validity of that identity from them and in them.
At times, family interest for someone may be minimal, because of a distracting interest in
work or something else. They are seeking validity in an identity in something that their family does not offer. Some, though, do have interest in family life, but the identity they receive from their given family is not what they desire, so they turn to alternate means of identity.
People can only connect to and understand
art (movies, TV shows, books/novels, paintings, sculptures, music/songs, architecture, etc.) on their own level of what speaks to them--them being made up of their own experience and personality. All that we know in life is our own experience (even if you witness or learn of someone else's experience, you are still in
your experience when you see or learn it, and you process it according to yourself). Art is reflective of the human experience, often specifically to the creating artist's experience. It makes sense, then, to go about reading a work of art through one's own lens. We can only go through and process art from what we already know and understand, what we identify with and recognize in the world around us or in ourselves. In this way, we connect with art by understanding and identifying with it, even abstractly or if it is only to say, "Yes, I know that. I have been there. I understand it. I adopt that idea. It is a part of me." We gain preference for artworks and use that interest in them to validate our identity.
The role of
religion in one's interests is another key part of one's identity, as they seek to answer the questions of their origins and creation--where did I come from--where am I going--what am I doing here (*ahem, while sober; not because of intoxication)? Some do find what they believe to be answers but do not highlight religion in their life, because they fill their life with finding validity in identity through alternate means. Others cleave unto their religion to re-enforce that identity they found. Our interests, too, come into play when we choose which religious establishment to identify with. Few do not find interest in the questions of origin, because they seek fulfillment of identity in other fields. MUCH MORE can be said about religion in this topic...but I haven't figured how it fits yet...and what else I have figured, I can't seem to find the words to explain what I understand.
The concept of
personality types, or common combinations of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns, is backed by association of interests. It would only make sense that those of similar tendencies would be drawn to each other, to similar careers, and to similar hobbies, as they share similar senses of identity and similar needs for validation.
Our interests change as we
age, because our sense of identity changes over time, as well.
It seems fair to say that
disinterest or lack of interest occurs when we perceive that the
interest does not validate our identity or what we desire to perceive ourselves as. We do not connect with it, or else, we do connect but desire not to.
Depression seems to be the state in which one lacks interests and, consequently, lacks a sense of validity in their identity, or vice versa. Further, when someone's interests are not being recognized or accepted, depression can also result because of the same lack of validity.
There is so much more that goes along with this topic, that our interests validate our identity, but these are the basic things I have so far. It seems that it would be beneficial for people to look over their interests and discover what they are gaining by having these interests and why they have them.
What do your interests say about you?
This can be hurtful, though, when I've grown to love someone and want to be there for them, but I know that they are only self-interested and their interest in me is for a purpose of perceived temporary self-gain—that I am disposable and only a step stool. When I am aware of this, I try to know my limits and not be taken advantage of or played. In this case, I understand where there is a definition of friend—that their actions are not of a true friend.
