#societal constraints

[ikrgeu]

Rebirth: I am confident, I am resilient and I am enough

The third and final image in the series: rebirth. This image provides the light that streams from the right in the first image, cutting through the darkness without losing its intensity. Unlike the previous two images, it is notably bright, framed in white with a matching white mat. To the left there is a white-framed mirror reflecting the mask and wig that feature throughout the series. Now…

Rebirth: I am confident, I am resilient and I am enough

[aubera]

on Growth

The society teaches us that we are supposed to work extremely hard every single day, and eventually we'll get what we've been working for. It suggests that if you aren't breaking your back, then you're undeserving of what ever it is you're trying to get. Pause for a second. Hear me out.

I've been afraid to jot down my thoughts lately. I'm not exactly sure why, it's just the case. But within the last 3 weeks or so, I've come to the realization that people are so caught up in the frivolous and somehow miss the important details of life and experience.

People have always looked up to me. I don't know why half of the time, because I always find myself criticizing who I am in private. So when someone says, "you're such an inspiration" or "I want to be like you when I grow up" I am shocked. But then vanity unleashes, my head gets swollen and it takes a few drop kicks from life to bring me back down to size. A secret that I discovered very early as a kid was do what comes easy to you. In other words, if you can do it with your eyes closed, no hands, just your pinky toe, that's what you ought to be doing.

So I played the sports I was good at. I chose the educate-myself path because my brain is a sponge for knowledge. I chose to wear the right clothing for my body type. I chose to argue about topics I was familiar with.I chose the friends that edified me in some way. I chose to be intentional about every single thing that surrounds me and could aid my success. Well most of the time. And well, I think if I did it all the time I wouldn't be humble enough to admit that sometimes you have to make the wrong choice to figure out the right way to be in any given situation.

Now, on this premise, it's likely that people will misconstrue my words and claim that I am proclaiming that laziness is okay. But I'm not attesting to that idea at all. I am saying that everyone ought to do what they are naturally good at, so that they can be successful. Some people live to clean and organize. Some people live to paint or draw. Some people just love doing community service. Some people love healthcare. What I'm driving at is, NOT EVERYONE enjoys what they're doing. 

We're currently bound by the constraints of society. We're bound by a belief system centered on acquisition of the temporary wealth. And in an effort to get this wealth, we work 70 hours a week until we're dog tired. Then we hit up parties/clubs and spend the money we just sold 70 hours of our time for, and wake up the next day thinking man now I have to go and work and get that money back...or maybe we never come to that realization and we continue this vicious cycle that suggests we will one day make it. 

We are trained to work hard. Enjoy life less. Pay to maintain facades and keep up appearances. And we get stuck FAKING IT and never actually MAKE IT.

See, I was never trying to be that person. I was never trying to be the person who didn't grow from an experience, grow with a company, grow in economic stature, grow spiritually, grow in my ability to community, grow because what good is the alternative...So yes it makes me angry when I watch people continue to suck on mediocrity's breasts and expect to grow into success. Yes it makes me angry when people consistently get in their own way by remaining too closed to receive gifts they can see let alone God's gift of life. Yes it makes me angry that we are constantly working against each other, pretending to be what we're not in an effort to shield ourselves from being hurt but then becoming hurt when people don't understand you.

Yes all of it makes me angry, but what good is my anger, if I sit idly by and watch the cycle continue? What good is my anger if I don't try to break the vicious cycles and binaries society has shackled us in? What good is this reflection if I go back to my old habits and forget to grow.

Life is a process. The rich are rich. The poor are poor. But we all the desire for personal growth in common.

So let's stop pretending and faking. Let's be our best selves, or strive to be our best selves and stop focusing on being some second rate version of someone else.

ar

[moominquartz]

sometimes you just need a break from society.

sometimes society gets overwhelming. so many things you're supposed to do, supposed to be--hell, who needs it?

society judges you constantly. you're never good enough for it. you never will be, but you're supposed to try to be anyway.

that's why i love the internet so much. it's the only known method for escape.

sure, books are escape, too--but you're not interacting with others when you read. when you're talking via instant messager or facebook chat or whatever, they can't see you. they don't know where you are or who you're with. hell, if you're on tumblr, you don't ever have to reveal what you look like and people will still like you.

they'll like you for you.

and it means so much when you're being hounded by your family, friends, etc, because you're not meeting their expectations. on tumblr, nobody gives a shit.

sure, there are risks with places like tumblr. i mean, anon hate's a huge problem. but with a click of a button the hate is gone and you never have to respond to it if you don't want to.

thank you, tumblr, for providing a method of escape from the hell we live. thank you so much.

[electrocunttherapy-blog]

Expectations for what constitutes femininity and masculinity are frequently affected by race, class, culture, and other factors, The freedom to be the kind of woman or man a person might like to be is greatly curtailed by sexism, poverty, racism, homophobia, and other cultural constraints and expectations.

Estelle Disch, "Social Contexts of Gender"

[patpattycakes]

I do not like that radio commercial where a girl goes, "30 ka na diba? And you're still single?" in an appalled voice. Also KC Concepcion's Palmolive radio commercial where she says something about looking for a boyfriend and good hair will help you.

A boy, a man, is NOT the end-all and be-all of a woman. Find something, somethingS, that will make you happy, complete in yourself and proud of who you are. A boy is a bonus.

In a world we claim to be "modern" in thinking, we sure as hell aren't promoting it well. A woman should not make it a mission in life to find a man. Her mission should be to find herself. Her relationship status should not define her. Ever.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also, that Myra-E commercial.

"Pag pumuti na ako, lahat bagay na sakin!"

NO. NO NO NO NO NO.

Yellow will not necessarily look good on you, neither technically will white and neon colors because you will disappear in a fit of light. No. Not everything, honey.

What's wrong with the skin you have now? Really. What's wrong with it?

And dear Ponds, pinkish white skin is a sign of sunburn.