Everyone is beautiful when my eyes are closed

“Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."

It is disputed about whether John Steinbeck actually said the quote above. Some say it was just an incorrect quote or a paraphrase of something Steinbeck once said. Either way, the concept still stands.

That’s how many Americans view themselves. And most would agree that it is not a good viewpoint to have. However, that’s not quite my point today.

My problem is with when that mentality carries over to other areas of life; particularly with actual physical appearance. 

There are so many blogs, lyrics, pictures, and sayings that preach the popular saying that “you are beautiful no matter what.” But seriously, you’re not. 

Now settle down, settle down. Let me explain myself before you decide that I’m a horrible person, how dare I say something like that. Let’s sit down and have an honest talk. Do you seriously think that each person is beautiful? And remember, I’m talking appearance here. Face it, they aren’t. There are some UGLY people in this world and no matter how much you squint or unfocus your eyes, they just won’t look anything but ugly. 

The Merriam Webster online dictionary defines beauty as "the quality or aggregate of qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably exalts the mind or spirit." Now, you know that there are plenty of people lacking these qualities. 

I believe this whole “beautiful no matter what” thing was distorted, much like my opening quote. While not everyone is beautiful, you should have confidence in yourself and have a good self-image. This is different from being beautiful. Think of those people you know (and most of us know at least one person like this) who is confident in themselves despite their looks. It’s that guy who is kinda-sorta-yeah-obviously overweight, but doesn’t care and even jokes about it. It’s that girl whose hair seriously looks like she stuck it in the toilet and gave herself a swirly, but hey, it’s just natural. It’s the people who have blemishes, but don’t care to cover them up. They just accept themselves the way they are. 

In general, we need to clear this thing up. You may not be beautiful, but remember that beauty isn't everything. Just learn to love what you got sista'. Be confident, accept that you are not other people, and don't compare yourself to others. You may not be beautiful, but you are different from everyone else in this world. There is no other you. So do what you do best. Be YOU.