Letters of Youth

BEING A MISFIT IN THE BEAUTY STANDARD

/ 9 July 2021

Being a misfit in a world full of unrealistic high standards is honestly fluttering. Why should I force myself to fit in some sort of toxic standard made by people who don’t even know the beauty of diversity and uniqueness? I would rather look for the beauty in me, rather than change who I am just to be called, “beautiful.” Although these realizations were after I went through a, “I wish I was white” phase.

I still remember the cold nights when I used to weep because I hated my skin. I used to hate everything about me. Oh I wished I had ocean eyes and beautiful golden hair. I just wanted to feel accepted by society and I thought changing my physical appearance would help. But it most certainly did not help. I was so lost that even when I looked into the mirror, I still didn’t know who I was. And in the end , I realized that I was only fooling myself.

There is no such thing as a, “beauty standard.” Once you train your mind to look for the beauty in everything, the validity of the standard will no longer have purpose.

So screw the beauty standards. Being different is justifiable because it establishes my identity. Being a misfit in the “beauty standard” is reasonable and acceptable, because why be them when you can be your own original and beautiful self?