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{*Did you know you can write on Elephant? Here’s how—big changes: How to Write & Make Money or at least Be of Benefit on Elephant. ~ Waylon}
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The world today is like a fancy catwalk where everyone looks like a supermodel on the runway: skinny, flawless, edited, and just plain perfect.
It’s crazy, you know? Everywhere we go, on the streets or online, people’s faces are all tweaked and changed, to the point where we wouldn’t even recognize them in person if they went missing.
Here’s a funny story:
I’ve been following this influencer for ages, and one day I saw her at the mall while I was shopping. I’m telling you, if she didn’t say her name at the register, I would have had no clue it was her. She looked so normal, with bumps on her skin, lashes that needed a trim, and makeup that was looking a bit caked on. And her figure? Well, let’s just say it wasn’t as perfect as it looks on Instagram.
I mean, why can’t we just look like our normal selves anymore? Like, why do we get to a place where we hate every little thing about our bodies and faces?
I’m not innocent either, you know? There are times I don’t even recognize myself when I’m scrolling through my Instagram posts. It’s like I was on autopilot while editing them, chasing after this societal standard that’s everywhere these days.
It’s nice seeing ourselves in a polished and pretty way, but it’s also kind of exhausting. Having to edit every single thing we post online and always compare our real selves to our filtered selves is just draining. And trying to convince people that yeah, that’s really what we look like in person can be a real struggle.
It’s like we are living two lives: one where we’re chilling in our baggy sweatpants, and one where we’re slaying like Beyonce in Sin City.
Like many of you, I’m just exhausted. And low-key scared of getting caught without my Facetune edits or FaceApp fix on. Seriously, I’m so over those never-ending lash extension appointments, done with Botox touch-ups, fed up with my filler migrating like it’s got a mind of its own, sick of Shein hauls, exhausted from putting effort into my social media aesthetic—and my hands hurt from taking all of those selfies.
Anyone else feeling the burnout?
Being perfect is just too much work, too costly, and too exhausting. It’s like there’s always something new to do. Every couple of weeks or months, you just have to update, refill, or get something injected. And you know what’s even more irritating? We spend all this money on making ourselves look good, but it all seems to get worse. It’s like the more injections we get, the weirder we look. It’s just not pretty. Even the plastic moguls, like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner, have lost their appeal thanks to all their cosmetic surgeries.
So, when will we finally wake up? Maybe we need a little more than just that cat eye thread to open up our eyes. When will this madness end, so we can just be our authentic, flawed, age-showing, and not so pretty selves again?
I have this crazy desire to just be what the world considers ugly. Like, I don’t even care anymore. Something inside me is telling me to say “no more” to all the things I’ve been doing to myself. I’m ditching Botox, fakes lashes, fancy nails, laser treatments, blowouts, fillers—you name it.
I want to have short man nails, a mustache, and a hairy body again. I want to see my wrinkles popping through my skin. I want to chow down on whatever food without worrying about whether it is gluten free or vegan. I want to throw my hair up in a messy bun without faking it for hours. I want to be able to have stinky breath, stretch marks, and everything that comes with being human.
I want to embrace my inner yeti and be able to step out of my house without a care in the world. I want to be ugly. Who’s with me?
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