What is the reason for this gnawing sense of inadequacy and discontent? People are quick to blame it on the media, and I agree that the media does play a role. However, it is important to remember that we create the media. As a culture we have created the media outlets and information that we then consume. To place the blame on the media, as if it is somehow external to us, is to give away our power. We have created the media, just have we have created all images of beauty, and indeed the whole notion of beauty.

We project our ideas and notions of beauty out into the world and create the media and other images. We then internalize these images and conclude that we are inadequate because we do not look like an image.
This is a very interesting and rather amusing process when you begin look at it this way. Why do we project this “idealized” vision? Why do we then use it to make ourselves feel inadequate?

Ultimately, there is nothing inherently wrong with images of beauty. People are quick to blame advertising, but these images are powerless in and of themselves. The problem occurs when we internalize these images and use them to decide our self-worth. Ultimately, whenever we use anything outside of ourselves to determine how valuable we are, we will suffer.

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