Lesson 13- Compared to nothing

Talent competitions are a weird concept:

Different abilities and skills are compared to each other. Then it is concluded that one is better than another. The comedian is better than the dancer, and the singer is better than the ventriloquist.

But I wonder, can I really compare the two? Each is very different and unique.

'I sing better than you can do magic?'

'You make better jokes than how I dance?'

If there was a violinist and pianist in front of you, both having played for the exact number of years, and you had to choose who is better, wouldn't it be a matter of personal preference or entertainment rather than actual ability and skill?

Now, this is probably far fetched, but I believe that a talent show is similar to societal beauty standards.

It is comparing the incomparable, and labelling an opinion or preference as if it is a fact.

Beauty standards created by society is like someone walking onto the stage of a talent competition and saying, " The singers are the best." Suddenly, everyone wants to be a singer, and drop whatever their initial skill was. Similarly, beauty trends come into fashion, and everyone wants to look like that.

When society conveys a particular facial feature to be the most attractive the rest of us are left feeling as if the features we have are a mistake.

I've had this moment many times.

"I don't look like that, this feature does not look like it is portrayed in media, and so how I look must be wrong."

Every single person is different. No one is meant to look the same or have the same physical features.

Beauty standards are all a matter of preference and opinion.

You are you. You have unique facial features; no other face in the world is such as yours. No other body is like yours. So, why would you try to compare how you look to another? You were never meant to be the same as another. You are the only you in the entire human species.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. Don't forget to comment down below!