In today’s society, the pressures of being “perfect” are stronger than ever. Everywhere we turn there are billboards, commercials, magazines, online articles and many other advertisements that promote society’s version of perfection. Pictures of “perfect” men and women are constantly in our faces. Young girls and boys are seeing these seemingly perfect models and thinking that they have to look exactly like them to be beautiful. The media has severely twisted the definition of what it means to be beautiful, and it is our job to show the world what beauty really is.
When you see an advertisement, what kind of models do you see? If it is a woman, you usually see someone that is tall and extremely thin. She probably has long, full hair that flows gracefully down, and her makeup is perfect and her skin flawless. If it is a man, you usually see a man that is tall and masculine with the “perfect” body. This is society’s version of beauty.
Why is that the standard of beauty? There are an endless variety of beautiful people in this world. We can’t have a singular image of a specific type of person that defines beauty when there are a variety of people in this world. There are short people and tall people. There are blondes, brunettes, red heads and people with all different hair colors. There are Caucasians, African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans and so many other ethnic groups. There are people with a variety of body shapes and sizes. There are so many people in this world that we can’t be narrow-minded when it comes to defining beauty.
We can’t let young boys and girls across the planet believe that they have to look like the models they see on advertisements. It is an unrealistic goal to look exactly like the models they see in pictures. Most people don’t realize how much money is spent on Photoshop, make-up, clothes and the team of people who are there to make sure the model looks perfect. When people believe that models are the true definition of beauty it can cause low self-esteem, eating disorders, self-harm and a variety of other harmful situations.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines beauty as “the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit.”
It is our job to show the world what beauty really is. We have to teach all generations that the first step of beauty is to love, not hate, our individual self. You are beautiful when you are being yourself. Each of us is unique in our looks, personalities and our passions. We have to start taking pride in the things that make us special. Nobody is exactly the same, and that is so incredible! The things that make us different are beautiful.
Beauty comes from within. Passions and dreams are beautiful. Love and character are beautiful. Intelligence and determination are beautiful. Friendship and loyalty are beautiful. Kindness and compassion are beautiful. There are so many beautiful things in this world.
Beautiful people see the beauty in others. They lift people up instead of tearing them down. They see worth in everyone. They believe in dreams. Beautiful people want others to succeed. They celebrate differences. They love abundantly.
When you realize that beauty is so much more than a pretty face, you can take confidence in your own beauty. We have to start leading by example so that the younger generations will realize what true beauty is. It is up to us to make a change.
