No, this isn’t about the movie Avatar but it isn’t about the original meaning either (in Hinduism avatars are incarnations of deities.) In modern times, computer games have brought a broader definition to the term, for an assumed identity with whatever characteristics are selected. In other words a sort of alter ego, a double identity.
What does this have to do with plastic surgery? I got to thinking about it reading the book Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, about the way social networks impact our lives in unexpected ways. In the book they note that our appearance affects the way people treat us, a topic I have covered here before. Whether we like it or not, attractive people tend to earn more for the same work, attract more friends, and have opportunities presented to them that similarly qualified but less good-looking people do. What’s interesting is the research finding that avatars in online games tend to take on personality characteristics and behaviors matching their appearance, rather than the player’s real-life persona, and other players in the games react to the avatar's appearance in predictable ways too. If like me you don’t play online games, you may still have noticed this sort of thing at Halloween costume parties.
I think there is an element of this phenomenon in plastic surgery. Young people born with a large or crooked nose, for example, who have a rhinoplasty before going off to college often blossom from wallflowers into happy, socially active adults. Women often feel more confident after breast implants, and men after some lipo. Sure, it may be noble to learn to live with one’s genetic inheritance, but keep in mind that appearance affects others’ behavior toward us as much as our own.
What I have observed over the years is that most patients aren’t trying to become a glamour icon and start behaving like celebrities, they are just looking for an improved version of themselves. Plastic surgery for them really does help them fulfill their dreams and improve their lives, and there are scientific studies to prove it. Of course it is possible to have a happy and fulfilling life without either having plastic surgery or winning the genetic lottery for natural good looks, but dismissing the whole notion as vanity doesn’t acknowledge how powerful even a minor transformation can be for some. In the meantime, I will keep working on my techniques to make people 10-feet tall, blue skinned and capable of riding flying dinosaurs. Come to think of it, avatars of Vishnu are often portrayed with blue skin …
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