For many in the West, the mirror is a place of fear.
The reflection we see staring back at us never seems to match up with cultural ideals or withstand the comparisons we make. The pressure to be thin, toned, handsome and young comes from within and without, and each time we find ourselves deviating from what we have come to believe is best, there is a renewed suspicion we’re not good enough, that maybe we ought to try to make ourselves better through a new outfit, a new regime or even the surgeon’s knife.
Adonis or a donut?!
Of course, there is nothing wrong with being fit and healthy – it’s good to eat sensibly, exercise regularly – and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying creativity through the colour and texture of clothes. But, all too often, how we treat our bodies tips over from being a good thing into a ‘god thing’, an idol that whispers lies about how life should really be.
