Average Is Best
Mediocrity is wonderful. Well, I mean being average in some areas.
I often reflect that I wouldn't really want to read minds, because knowing exactly what other people think about us would only result in arrogance or depression. (I feel like I've posted on this before, but I couldn't find it.) Similarly, I believe that people who are rich or extremely attractive must have a hard time judging the motivations of people in their life.
This might sound weird, but I hope my girls grow up to be average-looking. Since we still place an inordinate emphasis on appearance, and women are still at a societal disadvantage when it comes to finding a spouse, I hope they grow up to simply look like normal women. If they are too attractive they will get too much attention from people who may not actually care about them as people, which creates additional challenges in their lives. And if they are too unattractive that makes having relationships a challenge. If they are in the comfortable "normal" zone, it's easier to be around people who care about them as individuals. I feel the same way about my boys, but the way society works means there's less of a stigma on a man based on his appearance.
I'm going to love my girls no matter what as they grow, and I think they will be kind, intelligent, talented people. But parents always want advantages for their children, and in this case I think average is an advantage.
I often reflect that I wouldn't really want to read minds, because knowing exactly what other people think about us would only result in arrogance or depression. (I feel like I've posted on this before, but I couldn't find it.) Similarly, I believe that people who are rich or extremely attractive must have a hard time judging the motivations of people in their life.
This might sound weird, but I hope my girls grow up to be average-looking. Since we still place an inordinate emphasis on appearance, and women are still at a societal disadvantage when it comes to finding a spouse, I hope they grow up to simply look like normal women. If they are too attractive they will get too much attention from people who may not actually care about them as people, which creates additional challenges in their lives. And if they are too unattractive that makes having relationships a challenge. If they are in the comfortable "normal" zone, it's easier to be around people who care about them as individuals. I feel the same way about my boys, but the way society works means there's less of a stigma on a man based on his appearance.
I'm going to love my girls no matter what as they grow, and I think they will be kind, intelligent, talented people. But parents always want advantages for their children, and in this case I think average is an advantage.
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