Beauty is perhaps one of the most dangerously versatile words in the world. Beauty can mean something different every time it is used. A rose is beautiful, but not in the same way that a song is. A person can be beautiful, but not in the same way that a thunderstorm can be. Sadness can be beautiful, but not in the same way that a smile is. So when for the first time, a young person encounters society’s demands for them to be beautiful, how exactly do they respond?
Our appearance is a vital part of our identity. We often do not recognise how important our appearance is until we are pushed to face a sudden change in it. For instance, have you ever felt uncomfortable after trying an extremely different haircut or style of clothing? The change may have made us look better, but it may have also made us feel unfamiliar with our own appearance.
For young people, growth takes place not only in the mental and emotional aspects, but also in the physical aspect. This means that young people encounter changes in their appearance every single day. This process can be awkward, or even scary as a result of the fact that they are essentially beginning a transformation for which they cannot predict the outcome. In addition to not being able to predict or control the transformation, they are also pressured into believing that if the outcome does not meet a specific set of standards, then they are deficient.
So then, how exactly do young people respond to society’s demands that something as personal as their appearance needs to be appealing to everyone around them?
Well, they may perhaps respond by developing insecurities and anxiety. They may respond by believing that they are capable of less simply because they do not appear a certain way. They may respond by accepting lower standards in the way that they are treated, or the relationships that they form.
The pressures of our society’s beauty standards are rarely discussed with our children. If they are not taught what beauty is, then they will be left to develop their own understanding of it. This means that they can develop a harmful definition of beauty that they may use to judge themselves and those around them.
In our hands, we hold the great responsibility of ensuring that our children are equipped with all the tools that are necessary to experience the world and their life in the most fulfilling way. Sometimes, this includes teaching them the right way to perceive their environment, even if it is something as small as defining beauty.
The definition of beauty in its most pure sense is the goodness that we have the ability to see in the things and people around us. If this definition is fully understood, one can see that the world is a more beautiful place for those who are willing to seek the beauty in it. Only having the ability to recognise beauty that is skin deep is a cruel curse.
