All of us have had body image issues. Pranavi Hiremath provides reasons for why we should be grateful for them.
“I sit in front of my reflection, staring back at me is a body I don’t approve of. I have fallen prey to comparison and a sense of perfection that has led me here, led me to not accept what I have.”
All of us have dealt with a sense of incompleteness or dissatisfaction with the way we look. I am not here to say, “don’t compare yourself with others”, “you’re prefect just the way you are”, “embrace your imperfections” because we have heard it all before.
Rather, I am here to give you a different perspective about your own body which may help you deal with your insecurities.
The human species can hardly distinguish itself from any other species in the animal kingdom in terms of physical capabilities. We aren’t the strongest nor the fastest for example. What distinguishes us and has brought us to where we are today is our mind.
Our species is the only one on the planet that has gained intelligence. It is our gift. Our body may not have been designed to fly but our minds have made it possible (technically). There are honey bees that can solve basic math but they don’t know quantum mechanics so, boo you honey bees!
The point being, our mind is what distinguishes us. This little box in our skull questions and is trying to figure out the entire freaking universe. The whole cliche about “what is inside is what matters” is true. An example I would like to give is Stephan Hawking. He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease due to which he lost control over his body. Yet with the power of his mind, he was able to revolutionise the field of physics.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not just maths and science but our brain is able to make strides in art, literature, engineering, medicine, music, you name it. Just the fact that you are able to read and comprehend these paragraphs already distinguishes you, makes you more mentally capable than any other species on the planet.
So it’s really all about your brain. Your body is just a holder for this magnificent creation of nature.
So does it really matter what it looks like when it’s the brain that holds true value?
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