This Ted Talk was recommended to me by a counselor who specializes in body image and eating disorders. It is an incredible talk about women's obsession with beauty. Easily one of the better Ted Talks I have seen! It is a MILLION times better than the Tedx from Cameron Russell "Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model." So much more intelligent, articulate, and satisfying. This talk is worth your time.
Our obsession with beauty makes us sick and as you will see, it is a big waste of our valuable time and energy. Dr. Engeln also discusses the argument about the benefits of women using their beauty as a source of power to get what they want. Is it really empowering or is it something else? She is very insightful and really makes you think about how beauty affects your own life.
I don't want to give too much away, but this quotation stuck with me and it's worth repeating:
“You cannot chronically monitor your body’s appearance and engage with the world. That is the worst outcome of beauty sickness. When you are beauty sick you cannot engage with the world because between you and the world is a mirror and it’s a mirror that travels with you everywhere; you can’t seem to put it down.”
Take away: When we constantly focus on what we look like, we are not engaged or connected with the world. We are not fully present with our peers. We are not lost in the beauty of art and music and nature because we are more concerned with our own beauty. I think that's the saddest part of beauty sickness. We lose so much of what the world has to offer.