What would happen if we were talking about things that define us or about us instead of our physical appearances? How would it feel if we could focus on accepting our appearance as it is instead of changing it and on not taking it too seriously? Is it possible to live happily without loving everything we see in the mirror?
Our complex relationship and endless struggle with our bodies begin when we’re babies. Oh, it’s got the mother’s button nose and the father’s slender fingers. This struggle continues in the mirror as we grow older. Why don’t I have curly hair? I wish I had green eyes. If only I were a bit taller. It just keeps going on—numerous quirks added to the pile we cannot always acknowledge, let alone make peace with. Extra pounds, lines on the face, white strokes of hair... The flawless bodies, perfect bodies, and the glistening hair that constantly raid our attention from the digital screens, us mortals are imprisoned deeper in our flawed bodies, oppressed by our cruel souls. So, isn’t there a way out? Of course, there is. Medical advancements come to our aid and console us that there’s a cure for everything. They promise us a brand-new jawline, a line-free forehead, and full lips in only 15 minutes, which will be visible for two years at most.
Just as we’ve gotten used to our lines and the self we see in the mirror, we’ve been given skinny jeans, miniskirts, and sexy bikinis. Meanwhile, we see the emergence of body positivity on social media; it has become quite popular and occasionally misunderstood. “Love your body, love yourself” and “There’s no ideal or standard. Healthy body is the ideal body” scream the marketing strategies for women’s fashion products. Luxury brands promote their collections with size zero models in addition to plus size models. Fashion is no longer limited to a lucky few with skinny and slender bodies, mostly accompanied with full lips and long, healthy hair. “I’m for everyone,” fashion says. This is it, we think. We no longer feel the pressure of being size 36 and we can wear anything we want.
Body positivity doesn’t stop here and achieves its ultimate goal. Having attracted the spotlight and the wind under its wing, the movement expands its borders to include other identities such as disabled, trans, queer, and non-binary. It opens its arms to everyone and screams once more: “Love your body because it means you love yourself.”
Body objectivity
Is it that easy to forget about all our fights with our bodies, to accept our bodies as they are partly because of social media and marketing products, to make peace with it, and to be confident to declare it? One cannot help but wonder if this pressure to love one’s body could lead to a bigger depression in some people? If one tries to love their body and fails, wouldn’t it make them feel more insecure and unhappy? At this point, we’re introduced to a more formidable concept: body objectivity. Can we be objective about our bodies? Is it possible to accept and embrace it as it is without having to love it, by dismissing the pressure to make peace with it and acknowledging its function? What would happen if how we look isn’t defined by our self- worth or how society accepts us? Or if we were talking about things that define us or about us instead of our physical appearances? How would it feel if we could focus on accepting our appearance as it is instead of changing it and on not taking it too seriously? Is it possible to live happily without loving everything we see in the mirror?
Japanese culture and philosophy harbours many deep- rooted, rich, and meaningful concepts. When it comes to beauty and aesthetics, they just couldn’t help themselves and put forth a unique approach: wabi-sabi. This approach is not just an interesting concept, it’s also a teaching that guides people towards searching for flawed beauty and accepting the natural cycle of life. Wabi-sabi states that everything is impermanent, lacking, and flawed. This is exactly why perfection is impossible to attain, and impermanence is the only way.
If there’s no thing as perfection and flaws are the very meaning of life, if change is essential and everything is in constant motion of change, if nothing in nature including us- is complete, then, maybe it’s possible to shed our obsession to find and possess perfection?
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