We Shall Now Begin Ethics. - Vol. 8 Ch. 42 - Peace of mind

[Goodbyefrankenstein]

Tbf pretty privilege is a big issue in Japan and Korea, so beyond being vain and peer pressure, she might face issues in career and society etc.

Also, I did my braces in my 20s, she’s not even that late ahaha

Yeah when you consider how in Korea it's standard to include your picture to your resume when applying for jobs, looksmaxing is just the norm and to be expected. It's normal for even complete strangers to suggest plastic surgery, not in the guise to insult you but because "they care." A woman I briefly knew got breast surgery as hs graduation birthday present from her mom. Didn't even ask, her mom just took her and her sister to get it lol
Thankfully, it looks to me that more people, especially the youth, are more accepting and advocating natural beauty (tho still an issue). Ppl can say what they want about the feminist and me2 movement, but it's helped a lot towards the shift for women in Korea although still a lot to be desired (especially for idols/entertainment but that's universal imo).

 

[2hot4you]

Handsome people being treated better is just a fact of life sadly. Plenty of researches went into that and all reach the same conclusion. So she is right about "her life being harder than if she were prettier", though that comes with its own set of challenges. In general, there are just some problems you will never face if you're handsome compared to someone who is born ugly.

 

[keatsta]

I think she's right that life will be harder for her if she's seen as ugly, but there's so much more to how you're seen than your actual physical features. Like yeah the incels have their studies about various facial symmetry aspects being x% more valued in blind tests, but do you know what's 100x more impactful than that? Being a miserable, self-conscious person who's obsessed with the idea that they're "objectively ugly". The best thing you can do for yourself is not care. There are many other qualities that can make someone a trusted, welcomed, successful person, and you won't get any of them if all you focus on is looks.

Roald Dahl said it best.

 

[HellShade]

girl the issue isn't your eyes or braces. ITS THAT CRIMSON AH AH CHIN

 

[Saripeh]

welp, having low self esteem is one thing but blaming your parents for things outside their control is just pure dickass.
I mean her mom seems nice and supportive, to get angry like that to her is unreasonable.

 

[ColorlessBoy]

I love this girl, she’s like a redpilled redditor

I find this girl distasteful for exactly the same reason.

 

[glueweeb]

damn, she ain't listening huh

 

[userpadrao]

i did my braces in the 30s because i only have money now..
that girl is amazing to be able to afford those braces so early

Same here, I did it after getting married at 28, because my teeth were a complete mess.

 

[oedon]

damn, even teach isn't powerful enough to defeat femcel brainrot

 

[yaixe]

Ah, so I just noticed, at the beginning we actually got a closure from each story. From the 2nd arc, most of them but not all (like the kleptomania girl). But since the story went to this new school, it feels like the author never really did closure to any of the students. The length of the story is quite the same, but feels incomplete for some reason.

This story reminded me of the previous one, the social media girl. Like hers not even in one of the worst, but definitely has an impact to her mental state, but we got the closure in the end, the girl deleted her account and socialized with other students.

 

[strawberrywarrior]

Girl is right in that the world generally prioritizes those who fit the current beauty standards more, the main problem is that she redirected that anger towards her parents (who have no control over their own looks either, and on what physical appearance they end up passing on to their kids), and she got herself stuck in a social media bubble (which are often highly polished or faked, or even just outright scams) that continually wore down her self-esteem.

She may never achieve a "peace of mind" caused by a world that actually treats everyone fairly, regardless of their physical appearance, but she can still achieve a "peace of mind" where she no longer judges her own worth by how much she fits commercial beauty standards. She hasn't realized it yet, but confidence, living in the moment, and kindness are themselves a kind of beauty, even if it's not a beauty you can sell on social media.

(Like, visually, she looks so much worse in the panels where she sucks in her lips to avoid showing her teeth. She also tends to hunch down -- the things she does out of insecurity actively work against her.)

I'm also going to steal sensei's line: "Do you think that if you were like me, happiness would come to you?"
It's a good way to get someone (even yourself, if you're stuck in a similar doom/envy spiral) actually analyze and think about their situation, the things they say, and the world in general.

(Unfortunately backfired here: her obsession was already past the point of self-destruction. She won't realize what she has - a loving family who is patient towards her, a house, education, a healthy body, enough wealth to survive and spend on non-essentials, a school community that doesn't seem to be bullying her for her appearance - until she loses all of it, I think. Maybe if sensei pressed her about if her all her problems would go away if she achieved her desired beauty...)

And I think she showed by how she reacted to sensei that no, she still won't be happy if she was born pretty. She'll constantly stress about things that could "ruin" her beauty, and still limit herself from enjoying and being an active participant in her own life (like how she avoids smiling or talking, assumes cruel intentions from the people around her, blames people for what they can't control, and spends her money on treatments instead of on things she actually needs and enjoys).

 

[TheTenk]

Beauty is a positive trait after all.