Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino
Trick Mirror is a collection of nine original essays that explore the river of self-delusion that runs beneath the surface of our lives. The book delves into the incentives that shape us and how difficult it is to see ourselves clearly in a culture that revolves around the self.
Tolentino writes about a cultural prism in each essay, including the rise of the nightmare social internet, the advent of scamming as the definitive millennial ethos, the literary heroine’s journey from brave to blank to bitter, the punitive dream of optimization, and more.
The main themes of the book include the intersection of the personal and political, the malleability of identity, the mutual relationship between images and reality, the failures of popular feminism, and the absence of easy answers. Tolentino presents a primary personal narrative in each essay, which she then contextualizes within larger social issues.
Useful takeaways from the book include:
- The importance of recognizing the incentives that shape our behavior and beliefs.
- The need to critically examine the role of social media and the internet in shaping identity, public discourse, and political engagement.
- The dangers of pursuing optimization and efficiency at the expense of our humanity.
- The complexities of navigating the intersection of personal and political issues.
- The importance of acknowledging the failures of popular feminism and working towards more inclusive and intersectional approaches.
What I Liked
The book was a very enlightening book on multiple levels – personal, professional, political, etc. The author had a way of keenly describing the hard, tough, gnarly issues of life in the late 2010s. It’s focused on women, but has plenty of takeaways for men as well.
What I Did Not Like
A few essays were overwrought and not very good.
