Sepia, Amaro, Rise.
Sound familiar? If you're any old average-joe with an instagram account, these words should ring a bell. Filters. When we look at our friends cappuccinos we're not seeing the flimsy paper cup and runny whipped cream, presented to them. Rather we, see what they'd like us to see. We see the bright white of the cup's background contrast with the iconic, hunter-green Starbucks logo. The cappuccino they share with us isn't an ugly dull shade of brown. No, it looks rich, vibrant and full of highlights. Oh and that cheap plastic-coated table your friend is sat at, looks more like a mahogany pedestal, for the art-form that is, Starbucks coffee.
Are eyes are blinded by high contrast levels and color enhancement. We don't grasp a full picture of what is being shown to us. What we see is lovely of course. Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-instagram. I'll still double tap your cappuccino shots. Yet it must be noted that what we see is innacurate, nonetheless.
We must consider however, that it isn't only while we are doctoring our coffee date pics that we use filters. I don't know about you, but I use them all the time and not just on ritualistic Sunday selfies or Throwback Thursday photos of "yesteryear". Don't we all? Filters affect my speech, the way I act, how I approach people, what I share with the people I'm with, even how I dress and how much food I eat.
Where do our filters come from? Obviously, not all of them are from the social media geniuses over at Instagram. A filter a lot of us chose to apply daily is comes from the media.
I know what, you're thinking. You're more unique than that. You're an individual. You don't look to a group of magazines and newspapers, for a set of rules to follow. You make your own.
Congratulations you're not a robot! However, while your claims may be partially true, you have some things to think about. Why aren't you wearing crocs, right now? (If you are, you're probably cooler than me and if you're wearing the little jewels that fit in the holes you deserve a medal) You probably wore them several years ago when they were "the most prized plastic footwear", you even thought they were mildly attractive for plastic foot shields but for some reason you've lost interest. In fact like me you probably laugh at the thought of yourself strutting around in those gaudy "wannabe" sandals.
(Around age 11 I had some pretty sweet green ones. They were the bomb.)
Anyways, that little thing inside of you that stops you from pursuing yourself some candy colored crocs, that's a filter. Some may call it a "fashion conscience" but in reality is a filter, thrust upon you by..... you guessed it the media.
Marc Jacobs, doesn't like crocs. Cara Delvigne, do you ever see her wearing them? No.
We filter our decisions and sometimes even our tastes and desires. You've hidden your old croc-loving sense of fashion so long that you now scoff at croc-wearers everywhere.
We readjust our own opinions, views and interests. We apply a filter. Or at least present our ideas, opinions, views and interests, in a way slightly more palatable to filterers everywhere. (That's right, I just made that word up.)
The people who don't filter themselves to some extent are often considered socially awkward or just plain crazy.
If this filter is something we live with constantly, sub-conciously or not, shouldn't we analyze why we use it? Shouldn't we look at the filters we're using or, at least who created them?
Before you write me off as an anti-filterist, (It's a thing now. Someone should start a movement.) let me just say that I don't view all filters in a negative light.
For example, we all filter our speech based on who we're talking to right? You're not going to walk into a job interview and be like "Hey, gurrrl, we should hang." You might mess with your friends like that, but relaxed language probably won't go over as well with your future employer.
This is fine. It's a good thing we alter our speech to fit societal norms SOMETIMES. With out doing this we might all be jobless and lonely. Not my ideal kind of life.
If the media creates filters, then don't others as well? Yes, of course. Societies have filters. Subcultures have filters religions have filters and then there's that other guy. Oh, Jesus.
Have we ever thought of filtering all our decisions through the values and words of Christ?
If we did this, I think there would be a lot more peace and contedness in this world.
Think about the enriched lives we could live, if we exchanged all our old muggy filters for God's filter. If we saw people as he sees them. If we lifted up others as Jesus did. If we sacrificed-our own desires for the privilege of doing his work. Think about how much freer we'd be? We could be wearing crocs (or not) and worshiping Jesus, rather than, coloring in our eyebrows and highlighting our cheekbones, to look more like Kim Kardashian.
I challenge you to try out a new filter. Put aside that ugly set of unwritten rules that says you have to be x y and z to be of any value. God accepts everyone and although we're not forced to, when we chose to follow him we find ourselves living enriched and more purposeful lives.
Sorry this post is so long and deep. Enjoy instagramming that cappucino of yours. 1975 is always the way to go ;)
-Madsyroo xx
