History, that unforgiveable repository of crime and passion, gave us Narcissus. Vainglorious to a fault, he needed little encouragement for self-aggrandisement. Just water sufficed. He fell in love with the image. That shadow has trailed him ever since. History recorded it. Posterity though laughs at it today. As indeed it will in the years to come. Not at him but at modern-day men and women in love with their own image, their own moment. Indeed, there seems to be a bit of Narcissus in all of us. Mobiles seem to have replaced water, and we are — need I say it — like Narcissus.
For proof, look around carefully. You will find young men and women, and those not so young, taking selfies at monuments, in public parks, during Metro rides, even roads. Then there are those at concerts, rallies, marches who show less interest in the goings-on at the event, more on making selfies, to be promptly shared with friends on the internet, to be admired at the end of the day. Only to take some more the next morning. This time, it could as innocuous as playing with the pet at home to something as fancied as a picture of a film star grabbed at a public-do. All this provides a happy opportunity to the media to click pictures of people taking their own pictures. No friends needed, nobody to prompt you to say cheese. You just smile and the moment is yours to share with the world at leisure.
But why blame the common man, anonymous as he remains throughout his life, when even our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has proved himself to be a selfie lover? Or even film stars like Anupam Kher and Raveena Tandon. They might have cameramen trailing them everywhere they go, but a selfie, it seems, is different.
Or is it? History has plenty of ways of repeating itself. Unfortunately, not all of them are as innocent as a selfie.
A fan taking a selfie with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo: V. Sudershan
Youngsters taking selfie from a mobilephone. Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar.
People using mobilephone camera to shoot a video. Photo: S. Subramanium
Friends checking their group selfie. Photo: S. Subramanium
Youngsters taking their selfie image. Photo: Meeta Ahlawat
Youngsters taking their selfie image. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma