"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." "It's not the outside that counts; beauty comes from within." We've all heard these quotes growing up. Some believe firmly that their sentiment is true, while others mock these quotes saying they are just words to console "ugly" people. But why is a person's physical appearance a subject of criticism at all? We're all human beings, yet the differences in skin color, body part sizes, hair, height, and the number of body parts seem to determine a person's life, their job, and their success. And who determines what looks "pretty," "sexy" and "stylish?" These standards seem to restrict individuality and force a common look onto everyone, when no one really looks exactly like one another or has the same tastes as another. When everyone is different, why does society expect us to conform to such unrealistic expectations?

To match what society calls "beauty," people use beauty enhancing methods. Some get cosmetic procedures to enhance or completely change their natural features. Others spend money on cosmetic products. It's not inherently bad to get plastic surgery or use make-up. Cosmetic surgery is not just a procedure to change a look, it also is used to help those cope after cancer treatments, injuries, and diseases. Critics of plastic surgery argue that those who receive treatments are going against God's work or humiliating one's parents. But the individual owns his or her face and body. Who are we tell them what to do. Honestly with some make-up artists, their talents can be considered artistic. Anyone can copy a look, but it's no easy task to find a look that brings out the best features in a face. Even more than that, applying eyeliner itself is something you have to master over years. The thing that bothers me is that people ridicule those that use beauty enhancements. Society pushes users to live up to these made-up appearance standards, but the same society also looks down on those who meet those standards in "unnatural" ways. Celebrities fall under the pressure of the media and people calling them "ugly" and go through with cosmetic features. When they finally "fix" the "unattractive" parts of their appearance, people point out the procedure and call them plastic surgery monsters. It's not them who are the monsters, it's the society that creates these guidelines and those that enforce these guidelines that are the monsters.

People find confidence attractive in others. I use to wonder why, and I assumed it was because the confidence brought on an aura no one else had. As I grow up, I wonder if people are attracted to confidence because of jealously. Jealously over not having to worry about the views of others, not putting in extra effort to please others, or being who they want to be. While everyone has their own insecurities, some just hide them, flaunt them, or are proud of them. If someone is confident, let them be confident. Jealously may make people look for flaws or ways to bring down someone's confidence. If someone gets plastic surgery and becomes confident in their looks or someone uses makeup and gains courage, why are people so eager to shoot down their newly found tenacity? By pointing out their changes, the critics are only enforcing a bunch of guidelines that serve no actual purpose other than standardizing looks for a population with so much diversity that it should impossible to choose one look to generalize for.

Everyone has their own measures and opinions on beauty. If only people would keep their perspectives to themselves. Why try imitating one another when everyone was born to be themselves? It's sad to see young girls being so distraught over their looks, boys frustrated with not having built muscular bodies, and people blaming their looks on the success rates of their lives.