the human body

I know that it can sometimes be extremely difficult to feel comfortable in one's body, but I want to offer a different perspective than the optimistic but sometimes unrealistic "love yourself" we hear through much of our society. While I am absolutely supportive of body positivity and the movement, I also acknowledge that it can be hard to love a marginalized body, one that society bases their denial of rights for you on. The oppression of certain body types, abilities, and ways one looks should absolutely not be ignored. That being said, our bodies work miracles every day to keep us alive. Regardless of who you are, many chemical reactions are taking place in each one of your living cells in order to keep you functioning as you are. You are simply a mosaic of chemicals. Somehow those chemicals allow you to perceive your environment and think consciously. Different combinations of only a few hundred types of atoms (less, really) make up each part of you that drives you to think, act, and do. Every piece of you is a beautiful miracle that is also just a clump of complex chemicals working together. Our definition of attractive is based on superficial standards formed by other clumps of complex chemicals. They are not based in logic- logic says to appreciate the amount of complexity and the amount of things that must have gone right for you to be here right now. Your looks are the least interesting thing about you. If you are proud of them, flaunt it, because you deserve it! However, if you are someone who is not as happy with the way you look, remember that there are other reasons to love your body than the way it looks. If society is not happy with your body, that is society's issue and something that must be addressed.