We catch a glimpse of ourselves in the mirror and are instantly depressed: the odd nose, the unattractive hair, the sickening skin tone, but most of all, the all-too-familiar, deeply groom less needy look. 

During times like these, it seems as if all of our worst fears for ourselves are justified.

Crucially, feeling ugly has nothing to do with one's physical appearance.

There are a infinite number of reasons to find oneself attractive or repulsive, intelligent or foolish: in the end, it is the state of our hearts, not the judgement of our eyes, that determines the outcome.

It is the inner mode that directs our gaze as it evaluates our reflection and projects the atmosphere of selfishness that we see in our faces.

It's all the more unfortunate that it's so difficult to ask anyone for help when we're feeling gross.

We need someone else to justify our plight to the world in our curdled state, to make the case that we lost and humiliated, not monstrous or cruel.

Influencers, models, celebrities, each and every one of us are now victims of social media's fury. People all across the world witness these elegant pictures or caught moments, but they do not delve deeper into the darker side of “BEAUTY”. Although it appears to be near-perfection, the camera does not always capture everything, especially the harsher and more realistic versions of the folks we adore. Next time you think to yourself, “why can't I look like that?” realize that those looks don't always come naturally, and those photographs are far from ideal.

As we grow into young adults, these beauty standards are literally imprinted on us; society encourages women to stay slim and men to become more muscular, but why are these standards in place? Why do you have to look in a certain way in order to be placed in the space that society has designated for you?

These are all the questions that are difficult to answer since there are no answers. It's all a societal construct, if you think about it. A social construct is something that is formed by human interaction but is not objectively actual.

As humans, we developed an artificial beauty standard that most of us hope to achieve on social media, and it is up to us to finally fight it.

In my experience, many demons follow me around when it comes to my appearance and laugh when I feel unworthy of my looks, especially when I am on social media. It hurts me that there's always a voice in the back of my head asking why I'll never have the pretty gorgeous face that every women has. It can affect my entire mood and put me in a state of mind where I feel like nothing I do would ever make me feel good about myself or range of activities that it can include anything as long as it makes you feel good. doing something you enjoy or that makes you feel good can increase your confidence and mentality for the reminder of the day.

The vision of beauty that society has pushed for so vigorously provides you with a stance to manipulate the process of what beauty is and create your own standards, so you have the power to change it. It will never be simple, but if you concentrate and preserve, you can discover a new level of self-confidence and beauty in yourself and others that you have never seen before, all without the help of social media. a reminder to self: 

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL

YOU ARE WORTHY

YOU ARE ENOUGH.