Lesson: Beauty has more to do with the way you feel than the way you look.
For the last seven months I have been living in a country where physical beauty is not a priority. There are so many shades of grey in this statement… but the cultural ideology of beauty here in the United Arab Emirates is not what I am writing about. Simply put: living here has inspired me to question and challenge my former views on beauty.
Humans are too complex to limit beauty to physicality. We have other senses to experience beauty and severely bind ourselves within our sight when we fail to observe or consider the other aspects of it.
The attitude you carry is what makes you beautiful. Obsessively complaining about your appearance is not flattering or a fair reflection on your intelligence.
I still have ugly days. Those days when you wake up feeling ‘fat’ and your skin is breaking out and your hair decides to have an untamed mind of its own all at the same time. Those days are the worst. Its easier said than done, but to forget about your hang-ups and challenge the world with all you’ve got DESPITE the fact that you forgot to throw on some mascara is the strength we all need to find.
No matter what you look like, there are people in this world that will love you.
Well, obviously.
ReplyDeleteI'm always shocked by the profound lack of perspective that's generally shared among my peers when it comes these issues. The hegemonic nature of heteronormative beauty standards, and the means of disseminating them, are radically counter-productive.
It's the entire social superstructure that's fucked. But you know, the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house. It's all based in profit. And keeping the masses scared and shopping. Where are our priorities at?!