Hard To Be Yourself :: Self Image Appearance Essays

Hard To Be Yourself How many times have we heard the saying "Don't judge by appearance?" And how many times have we been thoroughly disappointed by appealing images of things and people? The answer is quite simple: countless. And yet how many times do we catch ourselves staring in the mirror? And how many hours do we spend thinking about our image? The answer is once again very simple: countless. The real question which arises is "Why?" Why do we care so much about how everyone else perceives us? And why do we always worry about our appearance? Why is it so important for us to show the world what we possess and how much we can afford, when in reality we know that appearances can be misleading? The answers to these questions are not simple at all. In fact, there are so many viewpoints on this rather controversial issue that it is sometimes impossible to agree on one answer. It really depends on who is asking and who is being asked. In order to look deeper into these questions, some important aspects of life need to be taken into account. Take the media, for example. Doesn't it always show the most beautiful people in the world and the newest trends in fashion? Of course it does, that's its sole purpose. Everyone is curious about the magic makeup Cameron Diaz is wearing and about the most recent clothes designed by Versace. And we must not get behind with news on Nicholas Cage's new cars or Jennifer Lopez's mansion. We get so involved in the lives and images of others that we start to fantasize about looking like them and behaving like them. Think of all the young girls today who would give anything to live the life of Britney Spears. And let's not forget about the boys who want to be strong and able to fight like The Rock. The media manipulates us and forces us to create goals of looking fabulous and possessing expensive things. It is so influential that we sometimes can't control these ideas and desires. That, in turn, leads to all those hours spent thinking which dress would impress the guys and what kind of car would attract more women. We start to believe that looks are all that matter, and whoever has an impressive appearance is set for life. Well, isn't this true?