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Health, Body and Delusion

Updated: May 15


Even the most beautiful people can be convinced that they are ugly, worthless scum. Even the ugliest people can be assured that they are beautiful, attractive beings that deserve much attention from others. This is because the delusion of not being "good enough" when it comes to the matters of the current structure of one's body can exist, even if their body is completely okay on both medical and aesthetic aspects.


The idea of “body positivity” is therefore irrelevant of your actual health, to a certain degree, because your perception of your body is largely a psychological matter, rather than a physical or a health issue. It has a lot to do with self-image and self-esteem, than it actually has to do with your actual appearance; appearance that is exclusive to the body, not to whatever clothes you put on it.

“Body positivity” is not society’s problem. It’s the problem of those who don’t have it regardless of their current physique.


Why should a collective at large care for how its individuals view their bodies? If you believe, correctly or incorrectly, that you are an ugly being, it’s not the responsibility of others to change that perception of yours, when this perception is your own conscious or unconscious, cognitive choice. Of course, we can promote positive body image, but the attempt to force upon someone the belief that they are beautiful, when they are clearly convinced they are not, is likely to be a waste of both time and resources.


Let people think whatever they think of themselves. This is a matter of the internal world, also known as the world between the person and themselves. As long as they function properly within the external world, also known as civilization, such issues are likely to be irrelevant to be dealt with by the larger, individual-apathetic collective.


Health, regardless of body image, is more practically important than your body perception. This is because health is something that is more relevant to society. The healthier we are, the more productive citizens we will be. Being healthy means being better at our jobs, having less sick days, being less likely to die due to medical reasons, and there would be less chances of injuries.


The entity/ies we call “society” is largely a materialistic machine, made to make profit out of the productive output of its citizenry. Body image has nothing to do with it, as it’s a personal matter that has no necessary correlation between the way it is currently and one’s current physique.


Advocating a healthier lifestyle, therefore, is a far more productive thing we can do either as individuals to our peers, parents to our kids, teachers to our students, content creators to our followers, and so forth. Eventually it might even positively influence the current state of people's body images across the world or within our local communities, in the long run.


Besides, being constantly obsessive with your body image, in my opinion, when there isn't really anything too serious to be concerned about, such as morbid obesity, is an unwise dedication of one's time. Is it that severe to have a body that is far from ideal? Is it severe to not be thin or full enough? Why do these things matter, let alone at a collective level?


Why does the external appearance of our bodies are a critical consideration beyond the matters of romantic, sexual, and genetic pursuits? The idea of an “ideal” body, male or female, is just a social and cultural concept, and there are no objective criteria to determine what is an ideal physique. This is an issue that shares the same lack of criteria as the “meaning of life”.


In other words, you can gather people from various locations in the world, show them a large selection of different people, and they're likely to answer different options as when it comes to who within that selection is the most handsome. In places such as in Tajikistan, for example, people with unibrows are considered physically attractive to both genders. Another example are models that are so thin that they are regarded as "skeletons", even though they are used by industries as an ideal form of the (female) human body.


And if we are talking about models --- what is actually a model, beyond the fact that they, allegedly, provide examples to how people should look and be built like? They are just human collars, serving exclusively as carriers of different clothes and other accessories. And yet, the job of being a model is probably one of the most luxurious jobs to have in this day and age of the financially-materialistic herd mentality.


Beyond the fact that they carry clothes and present them by wearing them, they theoretically contribute nothing beyond to the grand scheme of things in society, perhaps just beyond mere beautification. Surely there are much better jobs to be having in terms of contribution to humankind; jobs that are both practically-respected and practically-useful to others.


So is the delusion people live by when they think of themselves beyond the mental material, for both positive and negative sides of said delusion when it comes to the human body. Some believe they should look better even if they are more beautiful than the average individual, contrary to major opinion, while others are convinced they're entitled to gain admiration for something they don't actually have, but believe they have it in prosperity.


This brings the following question: are there more people who think that they aren't pretty enough, or people that are deluded by their own ego by something that isn't there?


Nonetheless, look at the width of your belly, and even if you don't see your legs entirely, raise your head and look forward into more relevant and practical issues that can change your perception for good.


Body image is a complex issue that is influenced by many factors, including our own personal beliefs and values, the media, and the people around us. It is important to remember that there is no one "perfect" body type, and that everyone is beautiful in their own way.

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Tomasio A. Rubinshtein, Philosocom's Founder & Writer

I am a philosopher from Israel, author of several books in 2 languages, and Quora's Top Writer of the year 2018. I'm also a semi-hermit who has decided to dedicate his life to writing and sharing my articles across the globe. Several podcasts on me, as well as a radio interview, have been made since my career as a writer. More information about me can be found here.

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