SELF-ACCEPTANCE-DAY

In the era of social media, photo shop, plastic surgery, constant self-display and an obsessive beauty craze people are under an enormous pressure to be beautiful, flawless and to have the perfect look. While dealing with the topics, „true” beauty, different beauty standards all over the wolrd, plastic surgery and social media we have reached the conlusion that it is incredibly important to be able to accept oneself and appreciate ones strengths and unique features and to come to terms with our flaws and weaknesses. Whether we can embrace ourselves and perceive ourselves as beautiful is often a decisive factor as to whethter we are happy and at peace with ourselves and immensely influences our outlook on life.

As conveyed in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s „The Birthmark perfection” is not possible and not even desirable. Dr Aylmer plays God and wants to make his wife perfect by removing her birthmark – her very special feature – in his eyes a flaw. When doing so, however, she dies. It’s often the special traits, the flaws which make people attractive, interesting and unique.

Beauty often lies in the imperfection and in the eye of the beholder.

On Self-Acceptance – Day the pupils of the 6th and 7th grade wore T-shirts with messages in order to make others aware of their beauty and to remind them to dare to be themselves as there is beauty in all of us. Therefore the pupils gathered material and displayed it in the Matersaal in order to give food for thought to remind everyone what true beauty is.

For example, a cartoon of a lady striving for the perfect  and latest look and therefore undergoing plastic surgery  was diplayed – just to find out in the end that she had been perfect the way she originally was. Thereby the students wanted to convey the message that it is time to embrace and appreciate one‘s unique features and to set trends rather than to follow them.

There were two entrances to the exihibtion. The visitors could choose to enter through a door marked „beautiful” or „average” depending on how they perceived themselves. When leaving the room, however, both exits were labelled BEAUTIFUL  to reflect the inner and outer beauty of everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

SELF-ACCEPTANCE-DAY