Let me start by reiterating that life is not fair. It is utterly unfair. And this bias starts the minute that you are born. In the name of social justice, and to nip this inequity in the bud, I suggest that infants start a movement to fight this blatant injustice….
In our society, natural body assets are primordial, as they are going to play a big part in your life. The shape of your eyes, your nose, your ears, your chin, etc. are going to be determining factors. If you are lucky, you will get a decent face; if you are not and look rather odd, this is the first strike against you. And there is nothing (or little) that you can do about it.
As you grow up, your body shape is going to become consequential. You will need to be well-proportioned… not too tall, not too short, not too fat. And again, there is not much that you can do about it. It has been pre-ordained, and your genes will decide for you.
A woman will start worrying about her body probably earlier than a man. In our ever-evolving culture, curves (butts and boobs) have become highly prized goods and if lacking in this area, many women will feel distressed.
On just about any social media, young women are posting selfies to flaunt their curves. They believe that their look is their biggest selling point, and they are trying to maximize it. But they are misguided. It is more important to be attractive on the inside than on the outside.
“You can’t really invest in your looks like your only ‘thing’ because it is a depreciating asset. Put your money, put your effort, invest in your brain and talent which will appreciate and get better as you get older.” Rashida Jones
If you are not particularly attractive, you will need to be more resourceful. Fortunately, your brain is there to help. It is a tremendously powerful tool that will (most of the time) trump natural body assets. Beauty is ephemeral (a depreciating asset), but a brain will continue to develop and pay interest throughout a lifetime.
Physically unattractive people always have to try harder and are usually more resilient than good-looking ones. But looks are not everything… Many homely people did very well despite their less than perfect appearance. Among them Woody Allen, Bill Gates, Mahatma Gandhi, Golda Meir, Mick Jagger, Stephen King, Camilla Parker-Bowles…
Natural body assets are valuable, but they don’t define a person. The brain and the heart do. If you are fortunate to have both, without any doubt, you are a winner.
Only when our clever brain and our human heart work together in harmony can we achieve our full potential. Jane Goodall
Alain
So true. So true. Good analysis.