Narcissm, Self Obsession and Selfies in Thailand

[Xriz]

I have absolutely no problem with selfies. It's innocent fun to share with others. No one gets harmed, it is safe, not harmful to the health of others, and does not pollute the environment. I can't say that about smokers. Don't get get me started.

Please do get started!

I like to hear how you spend every waking moment of your life in your condo or only go outside with a mouth cap because traffic pollution is even worse.

Enlighten me please.

[richard_smith237]

Recently in Japan we saw 3 girls walking across the middle of a T-Junction, taking photos of themselves and the sign in the background.

The car we were in had to stop to avoid them...

We saw the same girls the following day and my Wife chatted with them, one of them was lovely, the other two were completely self absorbed - they were all Thai.

Now, I can't say that this is a Thai phenomenon as I have no real basis for comparison... I spend most of my time in Thailand.

However, I do get the impression that Thai girls especially love a selfie... a generation thing, perhaps...

This behaviour hurts someone, so its no big deal - but the completely lack of embarrassment when pulling a pout and striking a selfie pose in front of hordes of people never ceases to amaze me.

Case in point: Recently at a Hotel Pool - an attractive Italian looking lady, bikini, earrings, taking selfies by the side of the pool... she was completely shameless and make quite a spectacle of herself. I thought, what on earth is a respectable attractive well to do looking lady doing behaving like that... her looks were classy, her behaviour like a silly selfie fixated child....

It was then she called out to her child who the maid was with nearby... She spoke perfect Thai !!... She was Thai !!... I then understood the behaviour and selfie fixation...

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There are times and places for selfies... but avoiding the 'silly pout' and 'reverse pose' perhaps makes you look less self absorbed....

[bruceamstutz]

There is s story about a young Greek man named Narcissis, who was forever looking at his handsome reflection in a pond of water. One day they found him drowned,he had leaned forward a little too far to admire himself and fallen in.

That's what a lot of people say about Obama, but he hasn't fallen in yet......Damn it!!!!.....5555/LOL

Edited May 6, 2016 by bruceamstutz

[NCFC]

People who've got nothing better to do with their lives than moan about fatuous people taking selfies. Oh look at me, I don't take selfies. I'm better than that. My life is so deep and meaningful I will go to the internet and write a post about it. And others with nothing better to do with their lives will read my post and agree with me. We re better than the selfie takers. And I might, I just might get a 'like' from one of them. And I will store his username in the back of my over-busy brain so that when I see a post from him in the future, I will return his 'like' in kind, and we will become cyber-chums and I will go to bed with a smile on my face safe in the knowledge that I am living a far more productive and fulfilling life than than those silly selfie girls.

[stevenl]

Recently in Japan we saw 3 girls walking across the middle of a T-Junction, taking photos of themselves and the sign in the background.

The car we were in had to stop to avoid them...

We saw the same girls the following day and my Wife chatted with them, one of them was lovely, the other two were completely self absorbed - they were all Thai.

Now, I can't say that this is a Thai phenomenon as I have no real basis for comparison... I spend most of my time in Thailand.

However, I do get the impression that Thai girls especially love a selfie... a generation thing, perhaps...

This behaviour hurts someone, so its no big deal - but the completely lack of embarrassment when pulling a pout and striking a selfie pose in front of hordes of people never ceases to amaze me.

Case in point: Recently at a Hotel Pool - an attractive Italian looking lady, bikini, earrings, taking selfies by the side of the pool... she was completely shameless and make quite a spectacle of herself. I thought, what on earth is a respectable attractive well to do looking lady doing behaving like that... her looks were classy, her behaviour like a silly selfie fixated child....

It was then she called out to her child who the maid was with nearby... She spoke perfect Thai !!... She was Thai !!... I then understood the behaviour and selfie fixation...

----------

There are times and places for selfies... but avoiding the 'silly pout' and 'reverse pose' perhaps makes you look less self absorbed....

So you have no basis for comparison but do conclude it is typically Thai.

[stereolab]

Seems rather pointless and futile, as their "friends" no doubt also busy taking & posting selfies.... who has time to look at others selfies? Like a chain letter to ones self....

The selfie craze and the strange photograph taking of your latest dish of somtam is ultimately self defeating. My wifes pals sit around a table, all with a smartphone, all taking pictures, updating their Facebook page, but the social interaction part of their meeting is being ignored, hardly any talk and hardly any eating of food.Post the meeting, hours are then spent checking for posts by friends and making sure unflattering pictures are not being published. The Banksy drawing of 2 lovers kissing, whilst both at the same time are checking their phones, sums up the madness.

[SoiBiker]

Seems rather pointless and futile, as their "friends" no doubt also busy taking & posting selfies.... who has time to look at others selfies? Like a chain letter to ones self....

The selfie craze and the strange photograph taking of your latest dish of somtam is ultimately self defeating. My wifes pals sit around a table, all with a smartphone, all taking pictures, updating their Facebook page, but the social interaction part of their meeting is being ignored, hardly any talk and hardly any eating of food.Post the meeting, hours are then spent checking for posts by friends and making sure unflattering pictures are not being published. The Banksy drawing of 2 lovers kissing, whilst both at the same time are checking their phones, sums up the madness.

They're still socialising and interacting. They're just doing it in a way you don't understand.

[csabo]

I hate it and FB also. I saw a female acquaintance post several pics from a romantic dinner her BF had arranged. Had a hotel put a private table in the beach etc. My first thought was how she defaced the privacy and intimacy of the moment simply to garner "likes" and adoration from a mass of strangers and semi-friends. I felt sad for her and worse for the BF. The narcissists have won creating an environment where this behavior is considered normal.

And while you were feeling sad ( of course you were, a sleepless night too no doubt ), she probably had a great time and so did he, while you spent your time tapping meaningless posts on an anonymous internet forum to total strangers.

Your sarcasm was lost. I never said I lost sleep. I just don't envy a relationship where every private moment is broadcast. I don't see how a contribution to a forum question asking for contributions is meaningless as it is the entire point of a forum. Are you sleeping well?? You seem confused.

[Broken Record]

I have absolutely no problem with selfies. It's innocent fun to share with others. No one gets harmed, it is safe, not harmful to the health of others, and does not pollute the environment. I can't say that about smokers. Don't get get me started.

Please do get started!

I like to hear how you spend every waking moment of your life in your condo or only go outside with a mouth cap because traffic pollution is even worse.

Enlighten me please.

He's right about the smoking, it must be terrible to be addicted to that poison, sucking in pollutants and paying for it, despite all the knowledge of the damage it does, the mind boggles at the stupidity of some people.

I blame the governments of the world who still won't ban the sale of addictive cigarettes despite the fact that millions have died due to them, it's a great money spinner for governments though, they rake in the TAX whilst their citizens die.

Taking selfies is what the new generation do, most here are just too old and set in their ways to adapt, I guess that's why death was invented

[Tomtomtom69]

I agree with the OP. However, even in Thailand unless a man is gay, they won't be obsessed with selfies either. Only women and gays (and transsexuals i.e. kathoeys) have this obsession and I find it extremely annoying.

Even when a Thai lady (or gay man) travels, their face becomes the main thing they photograph. They barely take photos of man made or natural attractions. Had a friend go to Japan recently - no photos of her boyfriend, just endless snaps of her in some random location she posted on Facebook. Barely any photographs that took into account the fact she was in Japan - she might as well have photoshopped the background. Very narcissist person - her boyfriend is like her slave and she treats him like dirt.

[laolover88]

I don't like facebook/social media etc. Children said to me: (I don't have facebook/line/twitter/linked in etc accounts) "After years of your marriage there is not one photo of you on Mummy's facebook, but about a million of her!" Wasn't really surprised!. Should I have a facebook page?

Edited May 8, 2016 by laolover88

[stereolab]

Most of the intelligent young people I know take selfies. It's an entirely normal thing that people everywhere do.

I was referring to obsessive selfie behavior, such as those who post selfies on Facebook everyday or take selfies at a dinner pretending to have a "great time" with the friends they didn't even speak to other than to decide on the order and split the bill.

I have stopped accompanying my wife on evenings out with her pals, I have no desire to sit in a dusty field, listenening to Thai pop music, and watch them take selfies whilst hardly a word is spoken, they may as well stay at home and have a Virtual experience, it would save me money.