When appearance matters

When it comes to the physical appearance of a person, first impression plays a very important role. Even for people who believe that they are fair and don’t let the outer appearance of a person skew their opinions. Humans are naturally tuned to form some quick judgements the moment they look at a person.

No one can help this behavior, and no one is here to create the best first impression based on ‘appearance’. However, no one can deny the fact that it does affect them to a certain degree when factors that are out of their control contribute to the way people perceive them.

Being short comes with it’s fair share of challenges- some practical which are easy to deal with, but most challenges rise out of ‘theories’ created by society about perfection or standards. Height being one of the most important criteria in defining the good looks of a person – both men and women. Women who are tall are considered to have a more commanding personality. Women who are short automatically fall under the cute, sweet, ‘convincing people with their cuteness’ kind of personality. But none of these theories are proven. However, when it comes to creating a criterion for jobs, many of them have an unspoken rule about the ‘look’ requirement. Fashion models cannot be short. Preferences are often given to women of certain colour or looks. The way a woman is treated by strangers or people unknown varies based on the appearance. If someone is asked to picture a woman in a leadership position, most of them will describe her as tall or atleast more than the average height. These are just perceptions that are strongly set in our minds. We don’t necessarily choose to have them, but the everyday situations around us create a certain belief system.

Fitting into perfection is never the aim of any human being until they are made to realize how much they don’t fit. Unfortunately, the society makes a big deal out of people’s shortcomings. As a short girl, I was made to realise than I am short over and over again during the different stages of my life. it started in school when puberty hit me early on and my height stopped growing. I suddenly fell into the short girl bracket in a span of a couple of years. But what actually affected me was when my friends’ mothers started making height comparisons between me and their daughters. Those taunts sure did have an impact on a 12-year-old girl. The second time when I clearly remember feeling really short was when I was around the age where my parents and relatives started talking about my marriage. They were prepared for how tough it is going to be to get a match for me because of my height. Point being that it is not just the criteria set in professional settings, it is also the everyday treatment that differs because of one’s appearance that has an effect on one’s self-image and hence self-esteem. And the worst part is, we don’t even realise there is anything wrong with us, unless the world outside, makes it very well known to us.

Through the journey of Perfetite, I hope I can bring back that spark and erase, as much as possible, the thought of imperfection. Together we can reinvent ourselves the way we want, not the way someone expects us to be. It’s never too late to begin to love yourself a 100%, it’s never too late to show your confidence, unaltered.