Dissociative Versus Different

[petrushkagoogol]

Generally a white caucasian male would compare himself to a white caucasian male of similar description. when checking his appearance before a mirror to access whether he is attractive.

This is mental conditioning. He is unlikely to compare himself to say, an arab male even if attired in western format. This is dissociative thinking. The arab male who he could compare himself with could be a hit with women, whereas his  ideal caucasian idol could be a misogynist.

 

Why do we categorize comparison as dissociative and different ?

[CraigD]

Generally a white caucasian male would compare himself to a white caucasian male of similar description. when checking his appearance before a mirror to access whether he is attractive.

Do you have any evidence (links and references to published studies, not anecdotes or speculation) supporting your assertion that this happens in even a small fraction of the male population, let alone the majority necessary to say the behavior occurs “generally”?

 

Why do we categorize comparison as dissociative and different ?

I don’t think you should use the term dissociative here.

 

In psychology, disassociation is not a term used to describe comparing ones appearance to a similar-looking person, but to a range of mental behaviors characterized by detachment from ones surroundings and/or emotions. It describes states from the non-pathological boredom and daydreaming to severely pathological conditions like Dissociative identity disorder, in which a person suffers from “multiple personalities.”