I found the point about the “inside-out structure of the gaze” to be really interesting and thought-provoking. I had never thought of a mirror as something that was used to see yourself from the vantage of the “Other” rather than the vantage of the self. But I think this idea is spot on. When you look in a mirror, you are seeing yourself the way that others see you. A mirror reflects your appearance from the point of view of other people. Essentially, you aren’t really looking at yourself, you are looking at how others see you. When I look in a mirror, I am checking to see if I look ok: is my hair messy, do my clothes match... I guess this new mirror idea emphasizes that I do this not really for my own benefit, but for that of others. The author explores the idea of the “function performed by the gaze of the Other.” This idea gives me a different perspective on the role that others play in shaping one’s own self-recognition. The reactions of others to one’s appearance strongly influence the way one views oneself. For example, if I am wearing a shirt and someone gives it a weird look or calls it ugly, I would be a lot less likely to wear that shirt again. The “gaze of the Other” has a much larger influence on one’s self-recognition than I had previously thought.

Another really interesting point that the author makes is about how clothes make us “culturally visible” in the eyes of others. Clothing plays such a large role in our culture because it is a defining mode of expression for people. It gives us a “meaningful form” to be able to chose to wear something, clothing or ornamentation, in order to be seen by others. Clothes make a big impression on other people. This idea of being “culturally visible” reminds me of some magazines, like People, in which there are rankings of photos of celebrities to determine who dresses the best. Our culture places a high value on the appearance of others based on their clothes. Those celebrities become seen by their clothing choices. This relates back to the importance of the gaze of the other. It makes one wonder if those well-dressed celebrities dress nicely for themselves/for their own benefit or for the opportunity to be culturally seen.