I’m not suggesting the picture is, just to be clear.
For all intents and purposes, what’s referenced below is the (without moral attachment or judgement) diverse community that celebrates radical self acceptance of all bodies, in all shapes, sizes, abilities, and races.
If you would like to research where the body positivity movement originally stemmed from, was possibly, or potentially not/maybe was, hijacked from, and part of this bastardised conversation, is entirely up to you to research and form your own opinions.
Please do!
Back to the body-centric, body-positive, body-negative, body-focussed, body preoccupation, body, body, body.
That’s not a Megan Thee Stallion lyric reference, by the way.
Any public celebration of a body where that is it’s physical ability, shape, size, colour, etc, relies somewhat (sorry, that’s unavoidable truth for anything put out in the public space) on validation and acknowledgment from an audience that resonate with said body on some level.
That’s not distinctly positive or negative, but it can affect individuals at both ends of that pendulum swing. It’s left to their interpretation, their cognitive biases and possibly how their day is going.
Should we care, and is it our responsibility? Maybe that’s a conversation for another time.
But, do we need to pinch folds of skin and body-fat to be relatable in order to connect with other humans?
Does that in fact reinforce most people’s beliefs about the importance of their body in relation to their feelings about themselves, their own self acceptance, and whether that aligns with modern norms of beauty or not?
Does body checking — Physical pinching, groping, pulling, mirror checks, “physique updates”, twisting and contorting body parts to highlight insecurities and sharing it with the others help?
What’s the net gain?
Helpful, or harmful?
Does it make others feel at ease or does it just strengthen that self, and body association?
Is it at all helpful to use pictures of bodies to communicate a message that reminds others that there is more to them than their body?
Relatable? Or that familiar dopamine hit external validation brings from the confirmation that it’s possible to still be seen and heard using the body as that vehicle of communication.
No longer found in physique updates and progress shots, but now under the guise of self love, radical self acceptance and body positivity.
Not far detached from those aesthetics and physique updates that individual may have been sharing a few years back.
That praise and accolade comes in a different form, from a different audience now perhaps.
Again, relies heavily on external validation from an audience that resonate based on aspirations to obtain body shape.
Both have good intentions and pure motives behind them, but both promote appearance as a source of confidence and happiness based on the external acknowledgment and celebration of their “body goals”.
If we want people to stop comparing their bodies perhaps we all make a concerted effort to produce content that doesn’t constantly put bodies under the microscope and under people’s noses, however relatable we feel our bodies are?
Is it necessary at all, when maybe subconsciously those in the promotion of body acceptance are equally reliant on external praise, consequently invalidating their own self (the inner turmoil) acceptance.
If you’re using your appearance to celebrate (we also have special part of the market capitalising here through sponsored adverts) self love and self acceptance, do we need to tell anyone at all if it’s for us?
Ok, you might be upset at this point.
By stating all of the above, I’m not suggesting the contrary.
Self esteem is something I’ve personally seen grow hugely in my own celebration of body changes over the years, but I’m curious.
All of the above comes from a place of non-judgment.
I just think they’re helpful questions to ask ourselves for our own clarity, and it’s important to identify when body preoccupation gets in the way of other aspects of life.
“What’s the intent and motive when I posted that picture of my body on social media discussing self-worth?”
Do we instead need to check in on people and ask them how they are?
