I’m Not Beautiful
A Four-Part Tetralogy unpacking the impact of how society influences the female perception of her own beauty
By LaQuanda McCoullum – Worth Advocate, Author, Creative
How Societal Standards Shaped My Self-Image (Part 1)
Now, I don’t know if anyone can relate, but my definition of beauty, especially when it comes to physical appearance, has probably been heavily influenced by societal standards. Unfortunately, this has led me to be quite hard on myself over the years. However, I’m happy to report I’ve officially decided that I won’t carry yesterday’s negativity surrounding my self-image into any more of my todays or tomorrows! So, let’s talk about society for a moment…
Where do I begin… Way back in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, TV and media portrayed a beautiful woman as someone who was tall, thin, with long hair, and fair skin. Fast forward to the present, the beauty landscape has completely changed. According to Instagram and whatever is trending on Twitter or TikTok, a beautiful woman is someone who possesses a super “coke bottle” shape achieved through extreme waist trainers, intense gym routines, Brazilian butt lifts, diet pills, and anything required to achieve physical perfection.
After years of ingesting all of these images and comparing myself to the ever-changing landscape, my confidence in my appearance hasn’t always been sky-high. Why? Because those images don’t reflect who I am. I’m short, with less-than-perfect skin, big teeth, big lips, thin hair, a big mouth, not the biggest booty, and the list goes on and on, but I digress. To be quite honest, I’ve never thought I was beautiful. Don’t get me wrong, there were some days when I thought I looked absolutely amazing, but I’ve never felt… you know… beautiful… So, let me ask you a question, have you ever allowed societal standards to influence your perception of beauty? Take some time to think about it and we’ll dig deeper into this in Part two.
