Waseda Weekly​ ​Waseda Weekly

Isono: If you ask me if it's okay or not, I'd say it's okay in this day and age. Body positivity and "body modification" such as hair removal and cosmetic surgery, which seem to be contradictory, have similar aspects. Both shine a strong light on the existence of "the self." Behind them lies a society that places special emphasis on individuality and continues to ask, "What kind of person are you?" and "Show off who you are." If you become aware of the structure of such modern society, you may be able to calm down a little. However, once you change your body through cosmetic surgery or other means, it is difficult to go back to the way it was, so please be careful.

Also, it's true that "it's more advantageous to be pretty," but if you get distracted by that, you'll feel anxious when you see many people younger and prettier than you. I hope that students will have many experiences that show them that life isn't just about "it's more advantageous to be pretty."​

Isono: The solution is simple. Give up eating together. Or limit it to once every three days. Perhaps you want to deepen your relationship with your partner by enjoying meals together. But maybe for your partner, eating is not fun, but just a way to get nutrients. In that case, it's difficult to say, "Please enjoy meals together." It's better for both of you if you enjoy meals with other people. But if you care about your partner, it might be good to casually show them the meaning of eating beyond just getting nutrients. Just be careful not to force it on them.

Isono: Even if your parent's use of the word "fat" did not have a negative meaning, you may have read negative messages such as "you have no self-control" or "you're not beautiful". The important thing here is that you are not to blame for being shocked. While you grew up with the value that "being thin is wonderful", your parents may not have grown up with the same values. It is true that you should not criticize appearances, but it may be a good idea to think about where you read the negative message. And it would be better to clearly tell your parents that you do not want them to say such things again.

Isono: I think it's inevitable that you would think that way. We live in a society that associates body hair with an unclean image and encourages the desire to remove it. However, before you blindly accept that you feel that way, there are some things I want you to think about. For example, permanent hair removal requires money. People live in different economic situations, so not everyone can afford hair removal. As a result, some people may end up being labeled as "dirty" because of their economic situation.

If you think about it like that, isn't it scary that you have a conditioned sense of discomfort when you see someone who hasn't had hair removal? Perhaps, for some reason, you yourself may find yourself in the same situation as someone who can't have hair removal. There's nothing you can do about the way you feel, but I want you to get into the habit of thinking about the "way society is" that is woven into your emotions.

Isono: When we see a beautiful person, we all feel envious! Just because we support body positivity doesn't mean that we can't be envious of the people around us or that we have to love any body. Still, if you feel uneasy living in a society where people are ranked by their appearance, cultural anthropology, which is my specialty, may help. In addition to "thin people are beautiful" and "double eyelids are cuter," you can see that there are various "ideal bodies" in the world, such as "there is no problem with women being topless, but there are societies that consider it very embarrassing to expose their thighs."