Do you ever wonder if you’re a good person? Do you overanalyze every decision you make only to be disgusted and disappointed with yourself? Do you feel you don’t deserve to happy, to be loved, or to succeed? Do you like yourself? If you cannot answer these questions without squirming in your seat due to discomfort, you probably suffer from a very common emotional obstacle. You probably half low self esteem. Low self esteem is very common, especially among females. It is an occurrence that has been around for a very long time and will continue to be around. Our society needs to alter how they judge woman. When a women does show any slight interest in herself she is considered conceited. Is it wrong to like yourself and care about who you are without appearing arrogant or vain?
Self esteem is defined as an opinion of an individual regarding their identity. Their opinion ranges from anything to beauty to more complex inner components. Women with good self esteem are not only able to account for theirs actions, but are also able to treat people with respect. Women with a low self worth are unable to take control of their own life and rely heavily on others. In my opinion, woman, for many factors, are too critical of who they are. We tend to over scrutinize who we are as people. Also, we use a set of standards, created by society as acceptable but often unachievable, to judge our appearance. Esteem, originating from a Latin word, means to estimate. How woman estimate their individuality needs to change.
As a woman, I have seen and felt firsthand how the media influences woman. Not only are we conditioned to believe we must have the perfect husband, the perfect children, and the perfect life, we are also led to believe beauty is a very important trait and that we must desire and achieve what is often impossible for woman to accomplish. What women fail to realize is that the set of standards placed before us is often a lie. The media portrays the way they want woman to look and attempt to hide the flaws. In example, models wear entirely too much makeup to cover every single flaw. They are also airbrushed and digitally enhanced in their photos to make them appear the way we see them. Not only that, the bulk of models are anorexic or bulimic. Another way the media imposes their viewpoint on society is through actresses and musicians. Actresses and musicians are forced into an excruciating workout by personal trainers to maintain the figure the media says they must have to get roles or perform at shows. Not only has the media falsely portrayed what woman should and shouldn’t do, but they are now encouraging women to highly rely on surgeries to enhance their image. I believe the media does this to make money. They know if they get a woman to feel bad about herself she is more likely to buy whatever beauty product or diet plan they are trying to sell. After all, we live in a fast paced society that is corrupted by greed. The media highly covets a woman’s appearance and inconsiderately ignores what is really important. Women should be desired for what is in their heart and what their mind has to offer not how pretty they look in front of a camera.
Ironically, even women who are very desirable and admired can suffer from low self esteem. Marilyn Monroe, a very established model and actress in her times, was regarded as a symbol of what every woman wants to live and every man wants to posses. In her case, she was a victim low self worth that led to depression. However, depression isn’t the only result of a depleted self analysis. Women who have been overly criticized in a social environment can weaken their ties to society. They become fearful of criticism and judgment. They tend to become more introverted and are afraid to express their opinions, beliefs, and individuality. Aggression is also another negative product. When we judge others we make them feel rejected, apprehensive, disgraced, mediocre, unconfident, unwanted, appalling, disgraceful and even shameful. This can cause hostility towards the people judging them. If media and society make them feel like a failure how can we expect their tolerance? Eating disorders are a very tragic occurrence. Thinness is considered very desirable. Culture rejects woman whose appearance doesn’t fir their perfect mold. Women who have been rejected want acceptance. Some will go to extremes to achieve this such as starvation or self induced vomiting. The people surrounding us, the media, or even society as a whole influences women’s self worth.
I strongly feel its important to have inner happiness rather then beauty. Being happy brings a greater sense of purpose and existence. It can bring joy or even love. Its also my conviction that the success rate or women will increase the they learn to regard who they are with higher esteem. They will be able to have better relationships with friends or lovers. It won’t effect their children or how they teach and discipline their offspring. They will in turn be better parents. I fully realize that the media isn’t the only root of the problem. I believe that there are other major triggers and factors that influence how a woman feels. However, I believe the media feeds upon insecurities and subjects woman to standards that are cruel and unfair. By disregarding what culture says is necessary, woman can be happy. Happiness can prevent socially unacceptable disturbances.
As a result of media’s unnatural obsession with perfection, women suffer from low self esteem. Women should be regarded for their inner beauty rather then their outer. Low self esteem passes from mother to daughter or even mother to son. A mother creates a standard for her children by who she is as a parent, a woman and even a spouse. Prevention of lose self important is important. Next time you see a woman walk by, try finding out who she really is, what is in her heart, and what her mind can offer before you decide if she is worth your time or attention. You might find someone worth caring about. Beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder.
