Women tend to compare themselves to airbrushed models and to Hollywood actresses who've got a team of makeup artists, hair stylists, fashion experts, lighting wizards, personal trainers/chefs, etc. This wreaks havoc on self esteem. Who can live up to fabricated illusions?
My Body Gallery hopes to offer a reality check. "In a world full of images of how we 'should' look it can get difficult to tell how we DO look," the site says. "Most women have spent so many years looking at themselves in mirrors that we can no longer see what's really there. The My Body Gallery project's goal is to help women objectively see what we look like, break the pact of silence around 'weight' and come to some acceptance that we are all beautiful."
The site encourages women to upload body photos, and enter in height/weight/clothing size that will group the photos with those of similar users. You can black out the face or recognizable features for anonymity. I'll admit I added my token pic to their database for my size. It was interesting to see weight distribution among different women of the same height and weight. And there is a refreshing range of body proportions you won't see in a fashion spread. But at the end of the day, why compare with anyone other than yourself?
Osho, a philosophy teacher and spiritual leader, spoke of comparison as the way of the ego. Remember, the ego "always compares itself with others — and the self is noncomparative. When you know yourself it is neither inferior nor superior in comparison to anybody, it is simply itself. But the ego is comparative. And remember, if you feel superior to somebody, you are bound to feel inferior to somebody else. So the ego is a very tricky phenomenon: ... It keeps you in a double bind, it goes on pulling you apart. It drives you crazy."
My Body Gallery hopes to offer a reality check. "In a world full of images of how we 'should' look it can get difficult to tell how we DO look," the site says. "Most women have spent so many years looking at themselves in mirrors that we can no longer see what's really there. The My Body Gallery project's goal is to help women objectively see what we look like, break the pact of silence around 'weight' and come to some acceptance that we are all beautiful." The site encourages women to upload body photos, and enter in height/weight/clothing size that will group the photos with those of similar users. You can black out the face or recognizable features for anonymity. I'll admit I added my token pic to their database for my size. It was interesting to see weight distribution among different women of the same height and weight. And there is a refreshing range of body proportions you won't see in a fashion spread. But at the end of the day, why compare with anyone other than yourself?
Osho, a philosophy teacher and spiritual leader, spoke of comparison as the way of the ego. Remember, the ego "always compares itself with others — and the self is noncomparative. When you know yourself it is neither inferior nor superior in comparison to anybody, it is simply itself. But the ego is comparative. And remember, if you feel superior to somebody, you are bound to feel inferior to somebody else. So the ego is a very tricky phenomenon: ... It keeps you in a double bind, it goes on pulling you apart. It drives you crazy."
I'm torn on whether or not this site actually does women a favor. Sure, we're no longer comparing ourselves with Hollywood, but we're still comparing ourselves. Ranking in our minds who is better or worse. I would far prefer a site whose theme depreciates comparison and highlights redefining your own personal best.
