Paper Tigers background ideas

Paper Tigers

The concept for my latest piece revolves around the Chinese term: Paper Tigers. The theme resonates with my current experiences of the world around me, creating my desire to delve into this psychological phenomenon, which is notably prevalent today.

“Paper Tigers” examines immature methods of interaction, where individuals are consistently stuck in survival mode, dominated by the mindset of "me, here, now." Think an animal out in the wild, its instincts to survive. It's about peoples inherent quest for control to provide the perceived illusion of safety.

In seeking control, life becomes a zero-sum game: I win, you lose. This scenario pits the aggressor against the victim, embodying the mentality of eat or be eaten, win at all costs. As societal beings, we often resort to projection, manipulation, and deception to achieve this. These are the darker aspects of our primal instincts.

Being in a continuous survival mode often stems from past wounds and trauma. Through this self-examination the piece addresses the emptiness within oneself, a void of connection.

As humans, we have evolved the capacity to be prosocial, to expand our thinking for the greater good of the community and beyond. Fundamentally, survival mode lacks the ability to give the essential care we naturally extend to our tribe—the "family" or community with which we identify.

To establish connection, there's an unending search among individuals in survival mode for external sources of love. There is a general misunderstanding that this love is something they can only give themselves. When stuck in survival mode, genuine connection seems unattainable.

It's a scenario of hunting or being hunted, using different tactics to survive. The piece explores these darker sides of human interaction and their complexities.