They say a picture speaks a thousand words. I say, listen a little bit closer and all the photo is really is “I’m an exaggeration.” Think about it, how many pictures of the mundane have you seen and truly appreciated? Sure, there are artists out there who take pictures of or paint portraits of the ordinary, but it can never be ordinary, can it? Why would you dedicate so much time to something so unimaginative? To create the new imaginative? No. There is always something, in any picture, that makes it separate from what would have happened if the camera wasn’t there.

            Now, when I think to myself, I always try to think of what someone on the opposing side would say to me to prove me wrong. In this instance, an episode of Pokemon comes to mind. Now, I haven’t seen this episode in years. I don’t remember the Artist’s name, but I do remember what he did. He tried to catch Pokemon in their natural habitat. In fact, he flat out refused to take a picture of Pikachu when it was at a table, smiling to the camera. On his wall, he had a picture of two or three Eevee’s playing together, that he himself had taken. So, I suppose the exception to the rule established in the above paragraph would be just that. Secret pictures taken of people, or animals, or creatures, while they are in their natural habitat, unaware that the photographer is there. The photographer’s worry is of course, that if they knew he was there, they would act in a way that they wouldn’t if he wasn’t there. I cannot think of a way to prove this false. So, those pictures are the exception, and a rare one at that. Natural habitats.

            But let’s think for a second longer. How many pictures are really taken in a natural habitat? Do you think girls normally move their bodies in odd ways to stick their rumps out way too far in any old situation? Do all of these people really believe in “Peace” so much that they put up two fingers any occasion they can? Do women make the phenomenon known as “ducky face” when they’re answering a question during class? Do guys flex in unison constantly? Does everyone always think they are a sect of Charlie’s Angels? No. No they do not. And for the point of me feeling better about myself right now, we are going to forget that there is an exception to this rule. All that matters right now, are the pictures of people that I have found on Facebook, and what I can do to trick myself into thinking they don’t hurt me as much as they do.

            So, now that the above has been established, only a couple of things remain. These things are to summarize the above, expand on the above, and then finally tell you, my audience, how it all relates to me. And it’ll be loads of fun, trust me.

            So, the summary so far is pretty much this: Pictures are all exaggerations. Today, pictures exist to show an audience how cool a person is by expressing what they normally don’t do, and that is why it is documented, and made permanent. Maybe it’s not fair to see that pictures express what a person normally doesn’t do, but it is better to say that a picture expresses what a person wants to do normally. A girl sticks her butt out too much in a picture? She wants a hook up. A group of friends pretend their Charlies’ Angels? They want you to understand they were up to no good that day, by THEIR standards, not yours. But that’s an interesting fact about people, not pictures. A group of guys flex together? They want to show off their exceptional companionship and how tough they are, all in an attempt to impress. And of course, the highlight of my point, the webcam photo. Or, at least, the self taken webcam photo of only oneself. The epitome of vain. What do these pictures show? That you think you’re good-looking. And whose to say you’re not? I don’t mean to offend anyone who has a webcam photo, I’m clearly using all of this as an excuse to not talk about the one thing I want to talk about, and that is why I’m rambling. However, I do feel like, by rambling too much, you find out a great deal about yourself. And, eventually, by knowing about yourself, and being able to apply it to other people you meet, you’ll be able to know a great deal more about your fellow man. However, that’s just my opinion. I’m using it to distract you from how I almost revealed my true intent a couple sentences ago, but then I thought it would be funny to bring up. And now, I’m going to start a new paragraph, and thus a new topic.

            Eventually, all pictures are selfish. The girl sticks her butt out to get attention. The guys flex to get attention. The lonesome handsome man takes a webcam of himself to get attention. The tourist takes a picture of the skyline to get attention from her peers for having a good eye. The world is driven by attention seeking people. And, whose to say if there is anything wrong with that? I truthfully don’t know. I avoid taking webcam photos of myself, because, as stated earlier, I think it’s just vain to do so. At the same time, I can understand how doing would be fun. So please, if anyone ever ends up reading this whose entire Facebook profile pic history is webcam photos, do not get TOO offended. I’m just different than you.

            Anyway, back to the attention seeking. Isn’t that what everyone wants? I know when fronted with the question, most people are going to think to themselves, “NO! I’m better than that!”, but I think not trying to get attention is a new form of trying to get attention. I’m going to have a really hard time trying to explain that. Please, just accept that my natural cynicism at this point, and that I’ve been drinking ever since I’ve seen that one picture.

            Oh oh! See that, I didn’t even mean to write that! But there it is! And with that one sentence, the truth is that much closer to you. But before I reveal all of this to you, let me sum up, once again, my view on picture taking.

            It’s a selfish way to gain attention for things that you wouldn’t normally do.

            And now, a couple facts about me that I’ve noticed only recently. I am a man who will believe anything to trick himself he is not in the wrong, and I will never allow myself to be hurt by another person, because that means they had power over you, and you should never give another person power over you. They could hurt you.

            And so here’s the fact which, I’m sure, you’ve figured out by now.

            Today, on Facebook, I saw a picture of my recently made ex-girlfriend with another man, and they seemed happy. So, here’s what my recently found view on picture taking makes me think of this situation; She is a selfish ex girlfriend, going out of her way to make me jealous and she doesn’t even like that boy at all. He’s just a plaything to her, and she will never get over me.

            Don’t think any less of me.