💬Discussion post: The body/beauty standard you don't care about at all
It's great to not give a damn.
In case you’re new here: Every now and then I do a discussion post, where the whole point is to get you talking in the comments instead of just reading my big ol’ Takes. We often have a great community conversation going on here at Body Type, so I’m excited to keep it going. If you’re seeing this and aren’t subscribed, join us!
Going to fully admit I stole this from Twitter but it’s a good Q so let’s go. Short and simple today.
What body or beauty standard do you not care about meeting/attaining at all?
Responses on Twitter ranged from “stretch marks” [presumably, caring whether you have them, or trying to get rid of them], “getting a big butt,” “getting my nails done,” “having a thigh gap,” “having perfect eyebrows,” “shaving my arms,” “having perky boobs,” and many more.
I love this. Despite how inundated so many of us are by messages about how we should look/be shaped/take care of ourselves (and despite the messages we can’t help but respond to with actions or spending), I have to believe there are some that have just missed us, or that we’ve been able to let go of. What a huge relief!
Mine?
I, too, don’t care about my stretch marks or getting rid of them. I don’t embrace them as something beautiful or whatever, they’re just there. Who cares.
I also don’t care about wearing makeup in public most of the time (sometimes, sure, but it no longer feels like a requirement), I’m not waxing my bikini line (I’m just gonna have stubble, whatever), and I could not possibly care less about how boobs or butts are “trending” more in any given year (as
predicts here, “If 2024 was the year of the small breast, 2025 will be the year of the SMALL ASS.” She’s probably right, but I’m so glad I don’t care either way).What say you???
(And BTW, if you missed my most recent post, here it is:)
Hey all. Jusssttt to be sure we're on the same page: This discussion is not about trashing body/beauty things you don’t happen to care about, or suggesting that it’s silly/bad to care about those things. It’s about recognizing that despite constant messages we hear about how to change our looks/bodies, there are some things we're just not as pressed about for some reason or another, because we all have different relationships to these things.
Please take care in your comments to take more of a "I just don't worry about This Thing" tone than a "This Thing is dumb" tone. Thank you <3
Oh my - I love this question! I'm a dietitian and talk constantly with clients about body image. I actually wrote more about how apathy is an essential tool for body image healing and how to figure out things you can care less about: https://moresoon.substack.com/p/i-cant-care-about-this.
Things I can't care about include: the societal pressure to self-tan, removing my arm hair, dying my hair, and teeth whitening.
Thank you for posting this question! I can't wait to hear the replies :)