Last update: Augusts 17, 2017
Each culture has its own canons of beauty with regards to physical appearance, considering that over the years the very concept of "beauty" has changed in various parts of the world. For some peoples, in a certain place and at a certain time, nothing is more attractive than a person of flesh. Others, on the other hand, think that only those who have scars on their skin are beautiful.
Today in the West the so-called "commercial beauty" reigns. According to this aesthetic concept, it is possible to obtain a beautiful face and a beautiful body only by resorting to products or treatments which, of course, are expensive. Charm is bought and sold. This means that the appearance hides great economic interests.
The problem is that men and women all over the world accept and internalize this rule unconditionally. They forget or ignore that they are being manipulated by those who get rich behind them and in the meantime they judge their body with extreme hardness. They reproach themselves for the extra kilos and diminish themselves if they do not meet the canons of the imposed aesthetic model. The advertising pressure is very strong, but the trick is to resist. Here are some tips to escape from this slavery.
Learn to interpret media messages about the body
We have to convince ourselves of one thing: the beauty models advertised by the various media are not real. Many of the people we see on billboards or advertisements don't really have the bodies they show. They spend their life in the gym, resort to surgery or retouched with Photoshop or all three options together. Of course, genetics also play a role.
The "perfect measures" were imposed by the world of advertising and those who trade in beauty. Why is a body with certain characteristics considered perfect compared to others? Simply because that is what has decided whoever sells and advertises slimming creams or treatments with that goal. The harder it is to get the perfect body, the richer the traders get. If it were easy to fit the ideal size, then they would lose their charm.
Perhaps you too have learned to regard a certain face or body as beautiful. Know that you have been trained to think this way. It is therefore advisable to learn to protect yourself from these alienating messages and not to expose yourself too much to the contents of the media.
Try to understand why you are not satisfied with your body
Not many people are satisfied and happy with their bodies, not even models or advertising models. Some would like to be taller, others shorter. Those with curly hair would like them straight and vice versa. Those who are too curvy try to hide it, while those who do not have shapes try in every way to accentuate them. One can, therefore, speak of a certain discomfort with regard to the physical aspect.
At the same time, there are many people who act as judges or aesthetic critics, especially women. They criticize our body, physical appearance without anyone having granted them the right to do so. They evaluate us, say that with a few pounds less we would be better off or that our haircut does not suit our face. There is therefore no shortage of beauty critics, whose purpose is not to make us feel better, but to underline our flaws. and, in this way, compensate for their inner discomfort.
Feeling uncomfortable with your body actually often hides deeper emotional problems or problems related to people in your social circle. Perhaps you have happened to not feel "enough" and to have transferred this expectation to the body. Often it is the interpersonal relationships themselves that do not have a sincere basis: if we feel accepted, it is easier to accept our body.
It is important to take care of your body, keep it healthy and ensure it functions optimally. You also need to embellish and dress up without ceasing to be yourself. No one is worth more or less according to the body, that's for sure. No one is happier or satisfied if he has a cover body. Nothing important in life is achieved with a beautiful body.
Main image courtesy of Anna O.
