Am I Pretty? | Teen Ink

Am I Pretty?

May 14, 2010
By soccerpsycho49 PLATINUM, Teaneck, New Jersey
soccerpsycho49 PLATINUM, Teaneck, New Jersey
37 articles 0 photos 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
Those who say that sunshine is happiness have never danced in the rain.


Am I pretty? My mother would argue that yes, indeed, I was pretty, in fact I was beautiful. She would tell me not to pay attention to society’s view on the world, and to love myself for who I was. She would tell me to wear what I want and be who I am, and don’t worry about pleasing others.

Am I pretty? The boys in my school would argue no. They would tell me to drop the two pounds of baby fat I still clutch onto. They would tell me to wear lower shirts and tighter bottoms. They would tell me to be more like a Barbie Doll. They would tell me to lose my personality and submit myself to the nostalgic views of society.

Am I pretty? The thousands of strangers silently judging me would probably argue no. They would most likely tell me that I was not up on a billboard and not starring in a commercial, so that must mean I wasn’t pretty. They would compare me to faces plastered on walls and perfected on TV and would pronounce me “un-beautiful.”

Am I pretty? I don’t know anymore. Are my blue eyes too far apart? Is my blonde hair too wavy? Should I curl it? Should I work out more? Have I committed the deathly sin of being fat? I no longer know who I am or where I belong in this world…this world that’s poisoned by brainless presumptions. I just don’t think I belong in a world filled with plastic stick thin girls clutching four thousand dollar bags. Do you belong here?


The author's comments:
What does it mean to be pretty? Why do we try?

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This article has 4 comments.


Sliva23 BRONZE said...
on Jul. 5 2010 at 3:37 am
Sliva23 BRONZE, Melbourne, Other
3 articles 0 photos 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
Love to faults is always blind, always is to joy inclined. Lawless, winged, and unconfined, and breaks all chains from every mind.

This actually made me cry...and i still dont no why
it really made m think about how i look and if i was pretty too
really good job

on Jun. 27 2010 at 12:39 pm
MumblingMelanie DIAMOND, Jackson, Missouri
79 articles 0 photos 210 comments

Favorite Quote:
Don't be a victim; be a titan.

Beautiful piece of writing :)

on Jun. 1 2010 at 8:08 pm
RoyaltySpoilty, Pasadena, Maryland
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
That is deep stuff, I love it. I'm not sure myself what pretty is, I often think about it myself but sadly in vain. So Instead I just be myself and do what I like, and that usally involves a lot of purple.

on Jun. 1 2010 at 7:10 am
magic-esi PLATINUM, Hyde Park, New York
27 articles 0 photos 231 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."

This is so true! I love the simplicity and truth of this article, as well as the connections that the wording gives. This is a really good article. Five stars!