Liposuction vs Head Shrinking

If it is socially acceptable to say "Hey, I'd like to address this particular issue within my mind," and go spend the time & money to do so, why is it a sign of vanity or other weakness to say "Hey, I would feel better about myself if my (fill in blank) were more (fill in blank)" - I mean come on, change is change, right?

If you are going to reply that physical appearance is not as important, I am going to laugh in your face.

Even if we remove the issue of true medical deformities, and then to be fair, remove the issues of counseling for true medical conditions as well, what do we have left?

Just smaller things about ourselves that we want to change.

If you plan a to pull out the 'minds are more important than bodies' line, then I certainly agree for the most part. But then if your self-image is driving you crazy, why shouldn't you be able to control it?

Can you really fix that big-bird-beak with exercise? No, you can't. If your problem was weight, and you took control, lost those unwanted, unhealthy pounds, will the skin just shrink back as nice & firm as your new & improved tummy? Nope.

And isn't seeking counseling for low self esteem really seeking approval at some level? I mean you pay to go in and work on the problem to please your mother, your spouse... And you hope that the professional helps point our why you are a good, beautiful person.

If you believe you can buy your way to enlightenment, why is it impossible to think that a person chooses plastic surgery because they love themselves enough to look the way they want to?

If you are heading toward the 'women are falling for patriarchal manipulations to look like Barbie' then I will say that you are likely A) not giving women enough credit, and B) overlooking the manipulations men have held on women's minds for years. Mental health professionals have done more to harm women through the years than plastic surgeons have.

Sure, breast augmentations, tummy tucks, nose jobs, & facial peels are done for purely vain reasons. And sometimes the person who gets them done does so for unnatural reasons, attempting to look like some imaginary cultural ideal.

But some folks drive flashy red sports cars, buy the latest gadgets, move to homes they cannot afford, and even buy books they never intend to read (gasp!) just to do the same thing.

Yes, the cosmetic surgery industry makes money off of insecurities & desires. But so do car salesmen, jewelers, and a really long list of others.

Both groups might do better to get the counseling, but then doesn't that group profit from the insecurities of others?

And what if after they've paid all that money for a sound mind, and they like themselves just fine, they discover they want the surgery or the toys for the simple fact that it brings pleasure.

Americans, and all humans with the means, will always be on the hunt for the quick fix, the bit-o-happy, the "I like this, let me have it" dealio of the moment. Even nomads carry things with them they just plain like.

I don't know what the cultural desires are for specific nomadic groups, but I'll bet money that there are beauty standards. And if they could purchase those standards, they would. Men & women alike.

In our Western culture, the pressure of looks is there. You can trace it back to patriarchy if you want to. You can opt not to have the so-called improvements done to yourself. But mocking another for her desire to look better? Isn't that just bashing another to make yourself feel better about your choices?

Well, there were plenty of kids in high school that did that. No doubt that verbal battery did more to make Helen opt for bigger breasts, a face lift and some liposuction than patriarchy did.

Maybe judging others is a sign of a much bigger problem than that liposuction is to the person with the perceived low self esteem.

I use feminine terms, as this is a female community, but it applies to all humans... don't you think?