The Vulnerabilities Within Us

We all are vulnerable. A big part of our vulnerabilities get shaped by parenting, familial bonds, kind of people we are surrounded with and the circumstances that we get to become a part of. Off late body shaming has come up as one of the most powerful tool, used intentionally or unintentionally. While it may seem like a normal innocuous comment to some, what it does to the receiver is extremely disturbing. One loses their self confidence and view themselves negatively. Another aspect of vulnerability is the ideal image with a hairless body, which has led to a common belief that hair in various parts of body are ugly to look at. Dark skin gets rejected during match making and has built a huge following for skin whitening industry. While this has created a perennially flourishing cosmetic industry, we have not given a thought to the vices that are growing in kids mind and making them detest body hair/ dark color even as kids. Out of the vulnerabilities visible to common eye, another one that stands out is beautification of body via jewels or cosmetics. In the race to look stylish and beautiful- we have forgotten to feel good. And feeling good doesn’t necessarily come from being decked up with various adornments but from within when you are happy about who you are and accepting the same. Traditional Indian families are a step ahead in making girls of the house believe that makeup / jewelry is essential to look beautiful and to keep the man smitten. Another aspect is to show off the amassed wealth. And all these have been time and again emphasized by Indian culture and religion too. None of our gods/goddesses are devoid of makeup and jewelry. Our festivities are based on decorating the idols of worship. Hence the fight is against the deeply ingrained system. There are minuscule actions happening hither and thither. While there is lot of propaganda and movements on social media but it is still a long way to go courtesy the beautification and objectification of body image. Glad to see models who are unconventional in their weight, color, have skin/hair issues being brought in the system. Though there might be hidden agenda by the brand to look good but nonetheless, a wave of change ensues. People are starting to lessen down the usage of fairness creams, body wax, color whitening agents and jewelry. Some are making the conscious choice to step out as individuals without any jewelry or makeup. Exposing their vulnerabilities and letting the world know that this is real me, we still have a long way to go and promote a culture that is more accepting and welcoming to the ones that are different.