019 Beauty is a relative term

In the 21st century, everybody has access to the Internet and many social medias. Our Facebook or Instagram accounts aren’t used only for communicate with our friends, but also to observe people we admire – influencers, models… Every day we contemplate bodies of athletes, dream lives of perfect men. However, nobody should torture himself with jealousy or complexes because the beauty is a relative term.

Did you know that the ideal of beauty is strictly associated to a culture? In different regions of world, other features are appreciated. For example, in Brazil or Venezuela, slim bodies aren’t as attractive as female silhouettes with rounded hips who resemble the guitar shape. What is more, African ideals of beauty are very diversified and can be sometimes even awkward for the rest of the world! Have you ever seen the images of Ethiopian women wearing lip plates? Or “giraffe women” of Burma who wear brass necklaces to make longer their necks? Of course, the beauty standards don’t affect only women – for example, in Maori culture, men get facial tattoos who are the symbol of courage.

Canons of beauty vary according to the region, culture or to personal preferences. We should remember that, even if some of those ideals can be strange and inexplicable for us, we must respect them. What is more, the richness of the canons can be useful because it teaches us the acceptance of our bodies and self-love. And sometimes, our complexes, the things we find unattractive in us, can be something beautiful for someone else.