How far is too far?

Current-day society is nothing more than a social ladder in which the only way to move up is to tear others down. But before I go into a four-minute ramble as to why our society is corrupt and unjust, let me ask you this: How far do things have to go before someone will say “STOP”?

Between tattoos, plastic surgery, social-media influencers, actors and movies, and the ever-changing magazines and ‘reality’ television shows, how are we as a society and as individuals supposed to know how and what we are meant to conform to? One day the average look for a woman is tall with long legs and a flat figure, the next it’s thicc, thicc and more thicc.

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Society over time has changed, I wish I could say that we’ve evolved, but evolving means that we’ve progressed and made changes that are going to help us not only in the present but also in the future, and we most definitely haven’t done that. In earlier times the most important thing was land, progressing towards a greater future, owning animals and having a general amount of money needed to succeed. Before that it was just staying alive, creating fire, battling with rocks and becoming better as a society. But now we’re more hell-bent on tearing each-other down.

Smothered by the crushing emotional pressures of the BMI calculators, brutally honest mirrors, and the plus size clothes I wear, it’s undeniable that in this current-day society I am obese, as much as Pringle likes to deny it. 38.2% of the citizens in America are obese, with 8.25% being in the ‘severe’ obesity category. So why is it shameful to be of a larger weight?

In the stone ages and the renaissance period, obesity or being of a larger weight was a symbol of beauty, health and a sign or prosperity, nowadays bigger people are the topic of ridicule, shame and gossip. The amount of torment people of a bigger size go through is disgusting, but we’re not the only ones who get this treatment.

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Scars, hair color, height, piercings, eye shape, tattoos, culture, religion, voice, music-preference, learning ability, personality, ear shape, clothing choices, even our names can become a label which society pins us under. That label being “Outcast” or “Imperfect”. I say this to society as a whole; what the heckles-beckles, fix up your attitude, no-one deserves to be treated like dirt under your shoe, just because we aren’t all the same.

Undoubtedly all my readers have felt the pressure of dressing-to-impress or have had a moment where you don’t feel comfortable in your our skin. No, you’re not meant to have those moments, that is society pulling you apart and your brain attempting to conform to its expectations. These moments have become normal as time goes on and society attempts to control and mold us more and more.

I was discussing this with someone from an earlier generation and they said that it’s not just people in this generation who have gone through and are going through the pressures of attempting to conform to unsaid standards. The elderly have also been through this, and are still going through this. Teachers’, doctors, news reporters, actors, musicians, store owners, Instagram influencers, everyone everywhere, whether they want to admit it or not feels the pressures of society. The bad thing about it is that there are no official laws which dictate who we are meant to be, there are the general “No murdering”, and “no arson and no stealing stuff” but there aren’t any laws which specifically say “No wearing 6-inch heels” or “Don’t wear emo/goth make-up” or “Women must wear dresses or skirts on dates” so why do we follow them.

I propose that we break out of societies unofficial mold, I propose #UnofficialSociety. Every Wednesday do something that society doesn’t have a rule against but isn’t something which they like. Because stuff society, stuff being a perfect weight, a specific height, having to wear make-up to cover scars and skin blemishes, stuff sucking in your stomach to look good in photos, stuff not wearing that black eye-shadow because your folks thing it’s “silly”. Stuff being conformed.

How are we meant to be who we are, if we’re not allowed to break societies ridiculous standards. How are children supposed to grow up happy and free from harsh judgement when all society is doing is shoving one expectation after the next down our throats. How are we meant to be human when society wants us to be nothing more than trophies.

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. Don’t let them force you into a mold that you don’t have to fit into. Don’t let society change you. No matter who you are, what you look like, what your job position is, what your name is, don’t let society change you. Not one bit.

If you have anything to say to our society post it under #UnofficialSociety or contact me at theshadowgirl16@gmail.com. There’s always a place for your opinions and your voice in Life In The Shadows. Just because we’re in the shadows doesn’t mean we can’t shine.

Stay foxy folks,

The Shadow Girl, Fading Out xx