self worth

The other day, a friend’s status popped up on stalker feed that I completely disagreed with, so I decided to write about it, just because.

It talked about how people asked her how she did it every day (in regards to fixing her hair, putting on makeup and dressing up for school so she wouldn’t look like a bum) and how that related to her having self-worth, having class, and being a lady.

So take that mental image. Remember it.

And then there’s me. I very rarely bother with makeup, doing my hair, or picking out outfits because, let’s be real here, I value sleep a whole lot more. (If I were to spend that time on anything, I’d rather spend it on making food because food is glorious.) We’d be lucky if I were to run a comb through my hair in the morning. (In my defense, though, it’s because my hair is freakishly straight and really doesn’t ever do anything other than sit there.)

While I do give her props for putting that much effort into each day, and I am all for dressing up for special occasions and the like, I contest the fact that doing your hair and putting on makeup means that you have self worth, nor do I believe that not doing these things equates to the fact that I have no class. I won’t get in on the being a lady part because I will agree that I am pretty effing unladylike. (We will blame this on the fact that I was raised with almost all guys since all our family friends who were my age were dudes. Did you really not see that coming?) But I do believe that I have just as much self-worth wearing a t-shirt and a pair of sweats as I would if I were all dolled up in a dress with my hair and makeup done.

Self worth + class.

Same amount of self worth but perhaps a lot less class because I’m eyeing my next victim with such intensity.

Perhaps this is just me defending the fact that I’m really lazy (but I’ll go with “super low-maintenance” because it sounds better). I don’t even go to class anymore unless it’s mandatory, so dressing up certainly does not happen often. I dress up for church, to see patients, and sometimes if I’m going out with friends. I actually learned how to properly apply makeup just this past summer (haw haw). If you were to look at my undergrad career though, my standard attire (what I like to refer to as my natural state/homeostasis), especially during my last year, was a tank top and shorts because I was taking several PE classes/going to the gym/a lab subject for a good majority of my EXB classes. It was a whole lot more functional and practical than dressing up and bringing another couple outfits along with the trainwrecks of things I was already lugging around with me each day.

I guess part of it is also that I feel like it’s false advertisement. Previous events in my life have made it so that I especially value honesty in others, so I feel it’s only fair that I do the same. I am very much a “what you see is what you get” type of person, so the “what you see” part for me is invariably me with no makeup and a t-shirt/jeans or something to that effect. I like to think that I can clean up well though if the occasion calls for it. :O

This is probably also why (y’know, aside from the fact that I’m in med school) my dad’s side dream of me being the next Miss Hong Kong would likely be dashed to pieces if I had really gone for it. I’m not ladylike/girly enough for them.

Bottom line is this: I really don’t believe that not dressing up/doing your hair+makeup every day means that you have no self-worth/confidence. (This might just be because I’m full of it, because I think I’m pretty awesome regardless of what I happen to be wearing. Do I feel more confident when I put more effort into how I look? Sure, but the shit that usually skyrockets my confidence = brag rights at the gym, nailing a new move on the pole/silks, and acing quizzes/exams/practicals.)