I am compelled to write about a story I've been following lately. It is about a British woman who has written a blog about how beautiful she is and how other women are jealous of the preferential treatment she gets because of it. There has been a firestorm of backlash against this woman as a result. When she appeared on the 'Today' show, Ann Curry even called her "narcissistic." The woman followed up with a blog in which she shares that her father was the influence for her self love. He regularly told her she was beautiful when she was growing up. She listed what she knew others would see as flaws, but stated that she didn't see them when she looked in the mirror. She and her father have since endured yet another barrage of attacks. (click here to see story)
This story has really sickened me. In this day and age when women are especially scrutinized and judged on superficial qualities, when young girls are begging their parents for plastic surgery, when our definition of a women's worth is based on how closely she lives up to the airbrushed standards of the media, I would think a woman with such high self esteem would be applauded. Instead, she is berated for thinking so highly of herself. As I read the comments below the story, each of which picked apart this woman's every "flaw," I began to wonder where our society's values have gone.
I know men who only form close friendships with attractive women. I've seen women promote their physical beauty by posting many pictures of themselves (often half naked)on the internet. Conversely, I've seen other women proceed to find all of the things that are physically unattractive about another woman. Many of these same people often profess that true beauty comes from within. I must say, none of this behavior is very beautiful at all. These are the values we are teaching our children.
I wish I had this woman's self esteem. I know I possess a certain amount of inner beauty, but I am well aware that I don't live up to that airbrushed standard of beauty, and I am judged because of it. Despite what most people think, she actually has her ego in check because she isn't concerned with other people's opinions. I think her attackers also wish they had her self esteem. How wonderful of her father to instill such confidence in his daughter at a young age. Perhaps if we as a society would cease promoting superficial beauty and learn to love ourselves as we are, we could concentrate on the real ugliness in the world, i.e. racism, poverty, war, injustice. Peace and blessings.
This story has really sickened me. In this day and age when women are especially scrutinized and judged on superficial qualities, when young girls are begging their parents for plastic surgery, when our definition of a women's worth is based on how closely she lives up to the airbrushed standards of the media, I would think a woman with such high self esteem would be applauded. Instead, she is berated for thinking so highly of herself. As I read the comments below the story, each of which picked apart this woman's every "flaw," I began to wonder where our society's values have gone.
I know men who only form close friendships with attractive women. I've seen women promote their physical beauty by posting many pictures of themselves (often half naked)on the internet. Conversely, I've seen other women proceed to find all of the things that are physically unattractive about another woman. Many of these same people often profess that true beauty comes from within. I must say, none of this behavior is very beautiful at all. These are the values we are teaching our children.
I wish I had this woman's self esteem. I know I possess a certain amount of inner beauty, but I am well aware that I don't live up to that airbrushed standard of beauty, and I am judged because of it. Despite what most people think, she actually has her ego in check because she isn't concerned with other people's opinions. I think her attackers also wish they had her self esteem. How wonderful of her father to instill such confidence in his daughter at a young age. Perhaps if we as a society would cease promoting superficial beauty and learn to love ourselves as we are, we could concentrate on the real ugliness in the world, i.e. racism, poverty, war, injustice. Peace and blessings.
Wow you are...and this will be put put bluntly living in a massive delusion. Self-Esteem for both men and women is an EVIL that needs to be crushed out of existence. It could be said that it is in fact the greatest evil that has covered this world as it is the self pride and arrogance that is causing people to not walk in love of others.
ReplyDeleteGeneration Me is a book that would be suggested reading for you at it goes to show how much damage the idea of "self esteem" has caused.
I give thanks for your opinion. I give you this to think about: if one does does not love one's self, how can he/she love another? We are, after all, connected.
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