People are the worst judges of how they look. I came to realize this while looking through some friend’s profiles in facebook. Typically the pictures they chose as “profile pictures” – ie. “the picture that best represents you right now” looked nothing like them. Most of the girls were giving silly coy poses and making the duck face. What is up with that? Seriously.
What were your favourite pictures in your high school yearbook? It certainly wasn’t the face listings, and it wasn’t any of the posed shots. It was always those “captured moment” shots from dances, sporting events, whatever. It’s the pictures that were taken when the subjects didn’t know anyone was watching. It’s the pictures of you in a moment where you’re just being yourself. Let’s face it, you’re awesome! The sad part is that even if you agree that you are awesome, you probably don’t think you’re that physically attractive. I’m looking at you: women. I don’t know a single woman who doesn’t think she’s ugly in some way. She’s either too fat, too thin (a rarity), too veiny, too wrinkly, hair is too curly, hair is too straight, too hairy, too balding. You get the point.
Why can’t people just be happy with themselves? If you get up in the morning, make sure you don’t stink (shower), make sure you don’t look absolutely ridiculous (wear untorn, well-fitted clothes, comb your hair, etc), I can guarantee that the only person who thinks there is something wrong with your physical appearance that day will be you. You’re too damn self-conscious. You need to accept that it is the person you are underneath your skin who people really see.
That is why my favourite feature of Facebook is the “Pictures of ” album. This is the album of photos taken of you by other people. Photos that people have tagged you in, that you didn’t even know were being taken. These are the closest you will probably ever get to capturing who you are in image format. The shittiest part of it is that many people I know end up requesting that a large majority of these pictures be untagged (it’s their right in facebook to request this) because “my arm looks fat”, or “you can see my mole”, or “my ear looks weird”. It’s stupid. Let the chips fall and show people who you really are. No-one is going to think you’re ugly, and those who know (or have known) you will appreciate the glimpse into the awesomeness of you.
I really don’t want to get in trouble with folks for putting up pics that they don’t like, so here are a few examples of the types of pictures I’m talking about from my “photos of mark” album in Facebook. These people are all awesome:
