Acceptance

When this video started, I instantly thought that I have already watched it but I was wrong. I am a person who particularly enjoys watching this kind of videos so, that might be the reason why I felt as if I have already watched it. When I make reference to “this kind of videos”, I mean videos that make people reflect upon issues that are so common than end up being unnoticed or overlooked.

How many times do we pay attention to the physical appearances of people?  I would dare to say that it is an everyday situation.  The first thing that we get to know from a person is the way in which he/she looks like. From that image that we first meet, our mind starts making a thousands of deductions about how that person might be. In other words, we tend to judge from what we see plus ideas that we have about that “kind” of people we see. But now, how many times has happened to us that that “first impression” wasn’t that accurate as it seemed it was? Sometimes, images don’t say anything. The fact that you wear glasses doesn’t necessary mean that you are a “nerdy” as well as being plump is not an equivalent of being a person with eating disorders...

The unnoticed or overlooked issue here is the way in which the social behaviour of judging by appearances exerts a powerful impact upon the way in which individuals look at themselves. In the video: “Comfortable” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0tEcxLDDd4, 50 peoples were summoned to carry out a project. That project consisted on asking them which part of their bodies they would like to change and all the adults could easily answer it and all the answers were related to social conceptions of beauty for example: Small ears, round eyes or being tall. Besides, some of them were related to aggressions that they have received such as being called “Dumbo”.

When the turn of the children arrived, the answers were completely different. They found the question difficult to answer and the answers where far from the expected: “Having like a shark-mouth”, “extra pointed ears”, “wings like birds”. All of them loved their bodies and only wanted to have extra abilities like flying like a bird or running like a cheetah. Isn’t it that cute?

We should take advantage of that innocence that children have and teach them to love and respect themselves just the way they are so as to encourage them to do the same in front of others. They are the ones who can make the difference and build a better world. A world in which heights, sizes and colours weren’t important because “acceptance” would be the common issue and “prejudice” the overlooked one.

       Thanks, Andy