Wanting to look good
It bugs me that people will mask their desire to look good with an air of being into health. They might say “I really want to be good to my body and not eat all of this junk. And exercise more. I hope I get rid of this excess fat because I don’t look good in a bikini.” It’s a little incongruous. It shows an inner conflict between societal pressures (it’s vain to care about your looks) and a desire for attractiveness.
I often feel this tension. On the one hand, I want to lose my gut and dress well. On the other hand, I feel shallow when I admit those things to others. I want to veil it in something more socially acceptable.
Looking your best is a biological imperative. Embrace it! Just don’t neglect your health/other values. If you feel guilty about it, it indicates that you are trapped in right/wrong thinking. Go explore that! Succumbing to guilty feelings can often get in the way of applying vibrant creativity to your own presentation. You’ll always feel guilt — society won’t go away. But feeling guilty and succumbing to those feelings are two different things. Live on your own terms and help shape society out of the guilt-ridden mess it’s in!
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