Making Up Beauty

All over the world, without exception, we are assigned value based on how we look, what we wear and even how loud or soft we talk.  It can be frustrating, but I stopped being angry about this a long time ago.  In fact, the more I travel and the more kinds of people I meet, the less truth I see in these standards of beauty.

Let’s go around the world for a minute, shall we?  Fasten your seat belts and put your tray tables in the upright position.

In Fiji, if a woman is too thin, she’s undesirable.  People assume she’s sick or poor.

In America, a woman with a heavy build is considered unattractive.  People assume that she doesn’t care for herself or may not be educated enough to eat right.

In much of South America, a woman with lighter skin is considered more beautiful than those with dark skin. Dark skin has historically been associated with a lower class or social station.

In most of North America, a woman with pale skin is unattractive.  Tan skin is a sign of health, vigor and an active lifestyle.

Female (and male) members of indigenous tribes in New Zealand tattoo their faces with unique markings.  Being unique in appearance is highly valued.

In Japan, though, even the slightest imperfection in a woman’s skin is considered bad.  Women even drink collagen in order to maintain or cure perceived blemishes.

Wasn’t our little journey around the world super fun?

For those of who were paying attention instead of  messing with their iPads, you may have noticed something fascinating: BEAUTY IS SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED.

“Socially constructed” is a fancy for “a result of society agreeing on what is true.”  People in South America think white skin is good and people in Florida think darker skin is more attractive.

Neither one is more attractive. It just depends on where you are and who is making up the rules. As an adult, I’ve learned to live inside and outside these social constructions. This knowledge has given me power over how I feel and who impacts the way I look.

Beauty is like a salad bar, really.  If you don’t like tomatoes, don’t put any on your plate.  If you love mushrooms, pick up the mushrooms. If you want to ditch the salad completely and have a taco, you should totally do that.

Take what you like, leave what you don’t and remember that, in the end, you hold the power to decide what’s beautiful.  No matter where you go, someone will think you’ve chosen something exquisite and someone else will think your choice was completely crazy.

Just eat (or wear) what you like.  You have the right to make up the rules, too.