| mirror ( n.) | |
|---|---|
| Applies to | headmates |
A mirror is a headmate who relies heavily on mirroring to interact with others in and out of the system, and seemingly has no cohesive personality or deeper identity themself. They may describe feeling blank, empty or hollow when alone as there is no one to mirror, and may prefer to front with others. Some individuals in larger systems might be unaware of their status as a mirror until entirely alone, as they are very susceptible to thoughtbleeding and emotion sharing.
Mirroring[edit | edit source]
Mirroring is the behavior in which one person subconsciously imitates the gesture, speech pattern, or attitude of another. This happens in social situations and is usually unnoticed and unconcious. Also called the Chameleon Effect, as named by Tanya L. Chartrand and John A. Bargh in their paper "The Chameleon Effect: The Perception- Behavior Link and Social Interaction" published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1999.[1] Individuals with autism or other neurodivergent traits may struggle with mirroring as socially expected, leading to the need to mask.[2]
Related Terms[edit | edit source]
This member may also be a shell or prism. While mirror can be used as a descriptor, modifier or role, it should be self-ascribed.
A mirror may also be considered a masker.
A mimic is a headmate that does not have their own form and relies on copying the appearance of other members.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Chartrand, T. L., & Bargh, J. A. (1998). The chameleon effect: The perception–behavior link and social interaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76(6), 893–910. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.76.6.893
- ↑ Radulski, E. M. (2022). Conceptualising autistic masking, camouflaging, and neurotypical privilege: Towards a minority group model of neurodiversity. Human Development, 66(2), 113–127. https://doi.org/10.1159/000524122
