The phrase “embrace your flaws” has been a wonderfully empowering phrase for many, and has shown people a new way of thinking. Many of us have begun to accept parts of ourselves that we deemed weren’t worthy because we believed that imperfection deserved only punishment. Each one of us has a different definition of a flaw, and all of us have our own particular insecurities. Often, what we deem a flaw is based on what we are told by society and media: sometimes, you are flawed if you don’t reach academic excellence, and other times you are flawed because you aren’t a good dancer. Perspectives rule this topic, and everything comes down to how we actually deal with this supposed imperfection. This is extremely true for women, and they are constantly being told to embrace their bodily flaws and shortcoming. However, there is never anything really wrong or incorrect about these “flaws”.
Unrealistic Expectations
Society and media are unhealthily powerful, and can lead to mass thinking that is strong enough for people to believe something that might not be true. The belief that women need to have perfect and flawless bodies is one of the most damaging and unrealistic expectations. Magazines and photographs use computer applications that can make women look literally perfect, and unfortunately, this has many people believing that perfection is attainable. Women face significant self esteem issues, depression, anxiety and stress when they look at themselves and point out their bodily flaws, even though what is shown by the media is fake. Unfortunately, even if people know that everything in pictures is touched up and brushed out, they continue to believe that they have flaws.
Norm vs. Flaws
A person’s physical features cannot be considered a flaw. It is neither good nor bad, but merely is. Take, for example, stretch marks. Almost all women are going to develop stretch marks in their life, and this is a natural occurrence. When a woman’s body goes through pregnancy or puberty, it is bound to be pushed to its limit, and this ordinarily gives rise to stretch marks. Stretch marks are also common in men. They are decided by genetics and environmental factors, but almost everyone in the world has them. Most individuals scramble to “fix” this by buying expensive creams and oils, and even going as far as opting for laser surgery or physical augmentation (that can be risky and drill a huge hole in the pocket) to look more “normal”. However, if everyone has stretch marks, that becomes the norm, and hence, stretch marks become “normal”. Why does it need to be looked at as a flaw? There are other features just like this that people believe are flaws: cellulite, skin that is too fair or too dark, breasts that are too small or too large, hips that are too wide or too narrow, noses that are too small or too large. This list goes on and on. Physical features are an occurrence, not a flaw. They do not need fixing.
Genes
Physical features are decided by genes at the time of conception, and this is something no one has control over. Neither the parents nor the child know what genes they will get, and what genes actually end up being expressed. Moreover, the expression of genes is dependent on environmental factors, and again, this is something that none of us have control over. Our physical features are not flaws, they just are. Imagine deciding that someone’s hands aren’t the perfect length: it almost sounds preposterous. So for now, don’t embrace your flaws, but embrace your entire body for what it is. It is a powerhouse that you reside in, and is the home of all your experiences. All of us have flaws of different kinds, but our body is not one of them, and should never be.
