She is a very pretty girl, but I've always hated my photos, too. I read it's because we never actually see our face in the mirror- we see the mirror image so we are shocked to see a photo because it doesn't look like what we see.

I love me some stilettos, too!

But I'm Sicilian and my stilettos have 6" blades not heels, so I don't think we're talking about the same thing.

(Plus when I'm wearing my stilettos NOBODY says NOTH'IN about ANY of my body parts!). ;)

she's gorgeous, but even if she wasn't, all she sees are her flaws, which lower her market value. she doesn't see it that way, but that's what it is.

usually, I avoid going here, because when I dwell on it, it spooks me to no end, how we as a nation have allowed this creeping corruption of our children: boys and girls. Thanks Keri. This is perfect.

Women are their own worst critics, can't think of too many (straight) men who would agree with her. As she's a teenager, we'll have to let her live through some more years of growth and perspective on self deprecation.

Well, can you blame her? You and I may think she is beautiful, but the picture is not up to her standards: the most beautiful picture possible of the most beautiful actress her friends saw on TV! Thank God it is not a whole body picture; otherwise, she would have called herself fat too. These are the harshest times for a woman's image, especially young women. The mainstream culture is so superficial, and women are facing their worst enemy ever in full force: other women who are always judging and hyping/falsifying the standards of beauty. R

"The mainstream culture is so superficial, and women are facing their worst enemy ever in full force: other women who are always judging and hyping/falsifying the standards of beauty."

uh..say what?

Some of what you're talking about in the example of this girl is overobjectification, but the other part is being conscious of flaws in general. She's worried about her flaws so they take up a lot of her attention, even though most people wouldn't notice them.

It's like musical performance: If I play several hundred notes in the course of a song, what I'm going to worry about is the three or four wrong ones, which I'm afraid will outweigh the rest of the performance.

Try showing the picture to one of the girl's peers. See what you get. I think that might tell you in a hurry if what you're seeing is a generational difference or personal-vs.-objective.

If the girl in the picture said that, good for her! At least she isn't a pompous, freaking egotist. Self-hatred is good for the soul. It keeps you humble. If most politicians and celebrities had more honest evaluation and honest contempt for themselves, this world would be a much better place.

Ah, a little self-loathing never killed anybody. I, for one, find it to be a very attractive quality in a young lady.

well she has her faults. in her head...which is what
the glorious capitalist system requires of her, alas.

until you wake up one morning, and just dont look in the mirror.
and get a sense of how you
"appear" to others, by
reveling in activity or somethinng non narcissitic.

that is when you are invulnerable, and deeply beautiful.
to you as well as others.
when you look in that mirror, at yr EYES, not your blemishes
or teeth, that is when you see what you are.