I find it incredible and encouraging that our society has come to the point where we can actively and publicly repeat to young and adolescent children that they are beautiful as they are—that boys do not need to be muscular, highly athletic, or emotionally suppressed to be considered true men. Girls do not need to and should not alter themselves to fit some impossible standard of “beauty” to be worth anything as women. More than ever, the truth of this movement and idea is gaining public strength and support, and it can never lose momentum or ground.

However, as with most everything in this world, I definitely believe that there can definitely be too much of a good thing. In this case, I believe that a vitally important and necessary ideal or movement can be distorted past its original purpose. I will always believe that we should tell young children that they are all beautiful in individual ways—but with that, I will never insinuate to a child that he or she is perfect or infallible because of their individual beauty. This is a distinction that has to be made and explained to children and people in general.

Yes, every child is remarkable and beautiful in some individual way—but that does not mean that any child is incapable of making mistakes. A danger lies in telling a child that they are beautiful and don’t need to change for anyone to be beautiful—I mean that it’s dangerous to only tell a child that. If we don’t also explain that mistakes are human and errors/imperfections are going to occur in life, we set them up for failure. If a child is taught to think that because he or she is individually beautiful and doesn’t need to drastically change in order to be attractive to someone, without being taught kindness, humility in making mistakes, and compassion, what’s to stop them from growing up to perform the same level of bullying and cruelty that we are trying so hard to end? If children are taught to think that nothing can ever be wrong with them because of their inherent, unique beauty, they come to think that any action or behavior is permissible. After all, they’re perfect and beautiful just the way they are. Why should they need to change or act differently when someone tells them to, even if it’s a necessary change or a correction to a mistake? Why should they mature in any way if they don’t have to change or try at all?

There is a difference between being immaturely inflexible to the advice of the compassionate and wise, and humbly resilient to the opinions and taunts of the parasitic and the cruel of this world. Yes, just as there is beauty in everyone, there is also the potential for cruelty and hurt in everyone. There are those people in the world—so many people in this world—who have given themselves over completely to hatred and fear. When these people tell us to change to suit their views, we stand strong and unflinching. They are wrong. Children should never be taught to fear these people, but strengthened to resist them—just as they must be taught to be humble and respectful among those who are humble, kind, wise, and respectful of others in turn. When those who care about us and treat us well advise us to grow and change in areas, we should do our best to hear them and consider their advice. They seek to help us because of their older wisdom and greater experience in living on this earth. Most often, their advice will help us to strengthen and grow as independent people. We can do no better than to listen to that kind of advice and suggestion to change.

We can't raise children to think that they are perfect and infallible because of their beauty and uniqueness. Rather, we have to raise our children to know that they are beautifully imperfect. Mistakes are good and ok and human, nothing to be ashamed of and nothing that makes any of us any less beautiful or unique. We do not teach children about their inherent beauty to excuse them to behave however they want, regardless of and apathetic to the consequences. We teach them about inherent beauty to give them strength against those who would seek to tear them down, make them feel worthless, or try to selfishly alter them to fit a narrow worldview.