I am really freaking tired of the term beautiful.
If you're a girl like me, who has an ample figure (oh, excuse me, a person who is "big-boned") then you know exactly what I mean.
Pardon my bluntness, but having "inner beauty" sometimes doesn't cut it.
Before I get kicked out of the Christian homeschooled realm, let me explain that inner beauty is a wonderful thing. It really is.
But is it just me, or does it seem that the phrase, "inner beauty" is nowadays being used to reinforce a girl's assumption that she isn't physically beautiful? As a girl who grew up teething on the back of a church pew, let me tell you, this idea of, "it's okay if you are not beautiful on the outside, it's the inside that matters" has bugged me for months. Don't we already have enough self-confidence issues in the female realm? Do we really need another reason to not appreciate the body we have and feel ugly, all while telling ourselves that the inside is all that matters? Really?
Ladies, (and gents!) that idea behind this phrase that is so loosely tossed around really bothers me.
For girls who have friends who are beautiful by this planet's standards, (skinny, full lips, perfect hair, expensive clothes, willow-shaped body, long, athletic legs, you name it) we look at them and feel horrible about ourselves because we think we're not beautiful on the outside. We have this notion that inner beauty is the only thing that matters, and when we see people who are "beautiful" on the outside, it destroys us because we don't know what to think.
Girls, you are beautiful on both the inside and the outside. I have never met, seen, or heard of an ugly girl. I don't give a crap about the world's definition of outer beauty. Whether you are size 2 or 20, brown or blonde, you are stunning. And I don't mean just on the inside. Stop comparing yourself. You are gorgeous, why the heck would you turn yourself into someone else? I'm not trying to stroke your ego, I'm saying that you are way too hard on yourself.
You are beautiful, no matter what they say.
Now start treating yourself like it.
xx
oh my word, abi, i love you for this. YES.
ReplyDeleteyou speak truth, lady. thanks for the reminder. xx
ReplyDeleteOh yes, oh yes, oh yes! I love what you're saying. It's been on my mind for a while. At my school, there's a club that puts notes in the girls' bathrooms that say things like "your hair looks great" or "you're beautiful because you don't know you're beatiful" or "someone will love you one day" or total crap like that, where it's meant to make you feel better but really it's complete b.s. that just puts MORE emphasis on your physical beauty and how without it, you're nothing. Or the Dove Real Beauty sketches? The premise is nice - you're more beautiful than you think you are - but the video is pretty awful. I love the way this article sums it up: http://jazzylittledrops.tumblr.com/post/48118645174/why-doves-real-beauty-sketches-video-makes-me
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with you - "inner beauty" is so cliched and overused and seems like an excuse or a consolation for not being traditionally "beautiful." Like, sorry, you're not a blonde bombshell with pretty eyes and a nice body, but I'm sure you're nice enough "inside." No. To be honest, I think EVERY girl is beautiful. And I'm not just saying that. I honestly believe it - every single girl really is beautiful - both physically AND "on the inside." I haven't met a single girl where my initial reaction was "wow, she's not attractive." Really, I wish beauty wasn't worth so much in our world - or at least, the traditional kind of supermodel beauty.