Photograph by Hannah Schultz |
Not only do I completely agree with her, but I see her choice as a powerful revolt against the norm. This norm being that girls need long hair in order to be feminine and pretty. And we all feed into these ideals, these standards of what supposedly looks "good."
Photograph of/by Hannah Schultz |
It also should be mentioned that because of this societal obsession with appearance, some severe body image issues can (and often do) develop. This last week was "Body Image Awareness Week" at UP. One topic they focused on was the prevalence of eating disorders in our society. According to statistics that can be found on the Peer Health Educator's Facebook page, nearly 7 million girls and 1 million boys are suffering from eating disorders. Furthermore, fifty to seventy percent of normal-weighted women believe they are overweight, and forty-one percent of men are dissatisfied with their bodies. These statistics shouldn't be too surprising, because body image issues are talked about more than ever before, but hopefully they still hold some kind of significance. Just because we know the statistics, we shouldn't become immune or complacent with how things are.
The thing is, when we look in the mirror, some part of us is probably criticizing what we see. As our own worst critics, it's so easy to find something to fix, something to change, something we don't feel is good enough.
The thing is, when we look in the mirror, some part of us is probably criticizing what we see. As our own worst critics, it's so easy to find something to fix, something to change, something we don't feel is good enough.
With all of that said, I dare you to not look in the mirror for a day (or as long as you can). See how you feel, and see how deep your dependence on appearance really is. And when you do look in the mirror, remember that there is more to you than your predetermined face, your hair, and how trendy your outfit may be. Chances are, you look better than a mirror could ever really show.
I enjoy the self-reflection and realistic view of yourself.
ReplyDeleteI might be culturally predispositioned, but I tend to glance but not dwell on my looks in the mirror.
Kudos to Lisa for planning to make that adjustment in her life.
I feel societies have tended to place too much emphasis on outward appearance, but humans seem to be hard-wired to consider beauty of a potential mate, making it hard to remove from one's behavior.
Awesome post!
Thanks for your comment Steven! When you really think about it, in a general sense, isn't it strange how often people look or glance in the mirror? I just feel like we're constantly checking. Imagine a world where you were unaware of your appearance, completely.
ReplyDeleteI LoVE LOVE LOVE your blog and this post!!! I think i may be obsessed
ReplyDeleteI know i could never go a day without looking in the mirror; even on the days when i dont care how i look, i manage to not care in front of a mirror.
props or snaps for Lisa having the couurage to do that, i wish i had the guts to
"I manage to not care in front of a mirror." haha, EXACTLY. Thanks for the feedback Rachelle :) I'm happy you've enjoyed my posts so far!
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