Overcoming the Curse of 'I Used to Be Like This' with the 'Power of Correction'

As we age, we become troubled by the gap between our 'past self' and our 'present self.' For example, when hair that was thick in our youth begins to thin, the stronger the image of our past self remains—thinking, 'It used to be so thick'—the more that discrepancy weighs on us as self-disappointment. How can we overcome this crisis?

As a countermeasure, one path is to 'resist change.' This involves using hair growth products or visiting clinics to regain one's former self and restore confidence. If it works, it can improve one's quality of life, and that is certainly one way to go about it.

However, 'resisting change' is based on the idea that changes that should be happening naturally are 'unjust.' There is something forced about that. Is there no way to be freed from this disappointment other than by 'resisting change'?

Here, the 'power of correction' mentioned by philosopher Hiroki Azuma offers a hint. According to Azuma, the 'power of correction' is the ability to retroactively revise past understandings and reorganize current perceptions, such as realizing, 'I thought something was always A, but it was actually B.' This can be applied not only to the understanding of external facts but also to the understanding of one's own way of being.

The pain of thinning hair comes not only from being different from others but also from having a past self-image of 'having thick hair when I was young.' But if we can 'correct' our perception of 'I am a person with thick hair' and accept that 'this is who I am now,' the way we see things will change. In other words, if you switch the 'default' of your own being, it becomes much easier. You are less likely to fall into disappointment, and you will no longer need hats or hair growth products.

If you only view change as 'deterioration,' loss of confidence, deep disappointment, and suffering are inevitable. What is needed is the power to correct your 'past self-image.' Instead of firmly believing that having thick hair is the 'true self,' accept it as a precious memory of 'how you used to be,' while not letting it overly interfere with your current self. And accept your new self, which is different from the past, as it is now. This is not self-deception, but the flexibility to accept change.

The important thing is to share this 'corrected' self-perception with the people you interact with, such as friends. If both you and others recognize 'Me 2.0,' even if it doesn't feel right at first—like a new pair of shoes—eventually, this new self will become familiar as the 'real you' to both yourself and others.You become that kind of person.With this, living will become much easier.

I understand the logic of those who say, 'Even so, thinning hair is uncool, I won't be popular, so I'll keep trying to grow my hair.' But those who accept their changed current self and live flexibly without being bound by their past self-image must surely possess a different kind of 'coolness' than those who are obsessed with their hair.

By the way, I am a person directly involved in this issue. Taking Azuma's suggestive discussion on 'correction' as described above, I used it as a trigger to shave my head, accept that appearance, and am now gradually letting it sink in with those around me. It feels refreshing!