Pretty hurts

The social pressure that young women constantly experience in the face of unrealistic 'beauty' expectations is a horrific concept. Even more horrific is to see our young women and future mothers, wives, sisters and agents of change yield to this mounting pressure. The pressure that, more often than not, insists on outward appearance and often tends to neglect the essential nourishment of the soul.The most detrimental aspect of beauty standards is disregarded by many: these goals are unattainable. How you look on the outside will never be good enough if you don't feel beautiful from the inside first. The psychological effects of constantly feeling like you have failed yourself and society include depression, fatigue and anorexia, among many others.There is no way that you could ever look like the girl in the magazine because even the girl in the magazine does not look like that. There is no clear-cut definition of the words “beautiful” or “gorgeous”. All these concepts are deeply rooted in the Feminine Beauty Ideal, which is the socially constructed notion that conventional, physical beauty is one of a woman's most important assets, and something that every woman should strive to achieve and maintain.The conventional beauty image is one that typically depicts certain features such as a disproportionately small waist, long, lustrous hair, an acne-free face and straight teeth, most Eurocentric features altogether. The supposed image of “true beauty” can also be attributed to entrenched patriarchal beliefs that view women merely as beings with the social responsibility to fulfil their ocular pleasure.Beauty standards have evolved over the years and in the 21st century they have become more than just standards. The impact that these perceptions have on women and society as a whole has become a form of social control that implicitly trains women and girls to sexualise and shrink themselves and forget their world-changing potential. The reality is that we cannot change unrealistic beauty expectations, but we can change how we respond to them as individuals. The best way to claim your own true definition of who you are is by learning to be unapologetic about who you are and what you look like. Be kind to yourself, because you are stuck with yourself for life.BERTHA TOBIAS

Pretty hurts

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Namibian Sun 2026-03-02

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Pretty hurts

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Namibian Sun 2026-03-02

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