I admit it, my gut reaction when I read this was "Oh no, I hope she doesn't get any percings because she's such a beautiful young woman."
While piercings have never held any charms for me, I've always believed that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the appearance a person choses for herself is her own business, whether it's clothes or piercings or tattoos. Especially when you're young, your appearance is a statement about who you are, even though personality is infinately more important. That's why, especially during adolescance, people look at each other and say "he's a jock, she's a prep, he's a banger, she's a goth, he's a player, she's a slut, he's a dork, she's a prude," et cetera.
We're taught not to judge based on appearance, but doing so is pre-wired into our brains. Our brains work by generalizing and categorizing information - neuropsychologists call these categories "schemas." Doing so saves our brains from having to analyze every new person or thing we encounter, and give our brains more time for all that lovely abstract thought that makes Homo Sapiens the dominant species on Earth. Some of us try harder than others not to let this instinctive desire to cubbyhole everyone into categories dominate our opinions of others, but we're all very vulnerable to it.
Therfore, it's important to realize the effect your apperance will have when choosing one. When I was an adolescant, for example, I specifically chose to dress differently from any identifiable group. I did this to reflect my intense independant impulses and utter disdain for anything even remotely popular to any group. I wanted to be truly unique and inscrutible, and the general effect of this was that I was unwelcome among just about eveyone but my friends - most of whom had been friends since elementry school. It might have helped if I'd read Thoreau at an earlier age and had known ahead of time that "for nonconformity, society whips you with its displeasure." Not that it would have been likely to change my descision, but it would have been nice to know what I was in for.
So regardless of the principles of equality and acceptance we Westerners give so much lip-service to, realize that in most cases, lip-service is all those principles get. And employers, teachers, parents, and peers alike are going to have an instant reaction to your appearance, whether it's to your benefit or not. Just because people shouldn't be petty and shallow doesn't stop most of them from judging, including many people who are otherwise good and fair.
Re: Pardon mebadlcukFebruary 24 2005, 06:03:53 UTC
Rather hoping youre not taking a shot at the 'young people trying to be different, damn conformity' shpiel, as i dont intend to be trying to look any different :/ I dont really care too much about how people interpret my appearance, as much as how I feel comfortable in my own skin..which is why i keep pondering to myself as what im interested in. Because im still trying to find how im comfortable! Bodymod has always been a big part of my life (and something that ive admired) and while its more in the area of tattoo's, there are plenty beautiful things that people can do to their bodies out there.
A lot of things more beautiful then some 98 pound, 5"10 blonde :) Though im sure their just as beautiful to 'someone'..
Re: Pardon memycroftholmesFebruary 24 2005, 22:09:18 UTC
Oh heck no, I wasn't criticizing "them dang youngins trying to be different." I've always admired individuality. When I was teaching, almost all of my favorite students happened to be goth or punky. I was mostly musing about how much society hates individuality (unless the individual in question is rich) and how there are times when it's in one's best interests to not appear too "different."
I definately believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And incidently, the 5'10" 98 pound blonde isn't for me - I'd prefer a 5'4" 115 lb brunette. I've never seen a tatoo on a guy that I thought looked cool, but then, I don't exactly find males aestheticly pleasing anyway. I do like some styles of tatoos on certain places on a woman's body, but to me, the most beautiful thing a woman can do with her body is, well, bathe it, I guess. What can I say, I'm a naturalist.
While piercings have never held any charms for me, I've always believed that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the appearance a person choses for herself is her own business, whether it's clothes or piercings or tattoos. Especially when you're young, your appearance is a statement about who you are, even though personality is infinately more important. That's why, especially during adolescance, people look at each other and say "he's a jock, she's a prep, he's a banger, she's a goth, he's a player, she's a slut, he's a dork, she's a prude," et cetera.
We're taught not to judge based on appearance, but doing so is pre-wired into our brains. Our brains work by generalizing and categorizing information - neuropsychologists call these categories "schemas." Doing so saves our brains from having to analyze every new person or thing we encounter, and give our brains more time for all that lovely abstract thought that makes Homo Sapiens the dominant species on Earth. Some of us try harder than others not to let this instinctive desire to cubbyhole everyone into categories dominate our opinions of others, but we're all very vulnerable to it.
Therfore, it's important to realize the effect your apperance will have when choosing one. When I was an adolescant, for example, I specifically chose to dress differently from any identifiable group. I did this to reflect my intense independant impulses and utter disdain for anything even remotely popular to any group. I wanted to be truly unique and inscrutible, and the general effect of this was that I was unwelcome among just about eveyone but my friends - most of whom had been friends since elementry school. It might have helped if I'd read Thoreau at an earlier age and had known ahead of time that "for nonconformity, society whips you with its displeasure." Not that it would have been likely to change my descision, but it would have been nice to know what I was in for.
So regardless of the principles of equality and acceptance we Westerners give so much lip-service to, realize that in most cases, lip-service is all those principles get. And employers, teachers, parents, and peers alike are going to have an instant reaction to your appearance, whether it's to your benefit or not. Just because people shouldn't be petty and shallow doesn't stop most of them from judging, including many people who are otherwise good and fair.
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Why dont you jot it down in a paragraph :)
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A lot of things more beautiful then some 98 pound, 5"10 blonde :)
Though im sure their just as beautiful to 'someone'..
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I definately believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And incidently, the 5'10" 98 pound blonde isn't for me - I'd prefer a 5'4" 115 lb brunette. I've never seen a tatoo on a guy that I thought looked cool, but then, I don't exactly find males aestheticly pleasing anyway. I do like some styles of tatoos on certain places on a woman's body, but to me, the most beautiful thing a woman can do with her body is, well, bathe it, I guess. What can I say, I'm a naturalist.
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/fuss
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