Why are we so afraid of not being beautiful enough?

Let’s talk about beauty standards.

What purpose do they serve in today’s world? What difference does the definition of beauty really make? Is beauty power? Or does beauty have power over us?

I’m a 22-year-old woman — the perfect victim of the so-called “beauty standards.” I face them every single day. Every time I open Instagram or TikTok, watch a show, through ads, or even when I walk down the street, I’m reminded — This is what you’re supposed to look like. 

We live in a digital age where influencers dominate our screens and algorithms feed us curated images 24/7. We’re being constantly influenced — whether we realize it or not. Every scroll, every click, every subtle comparison… it adds up. I hate it.

I’m currently studying International Relations, and we’ve touched on this subject in a broader context — how systemic structures influence our behavior, thoughts, and even our self-worth. And beauty standards? They’re one of the most powerful forms of social control out there.

And yet, even with this knowledge — even as I sit in lecture halls and critically analyze power structures, systems of control, and global inequalities — I still find myself in front of the mirror, doubting my worth based on how “beautiful” I feel. That’s the paradox of it all. Awareness doesn’t necessarily free you.

Beauty standards are not random. They are socially constructed, historically shaped, and constantly evolving. What was considered “ideal” a decade ago may now be outdated, and yet we’re always running — sprinting — toward an ever-changing finish line. It’s exhausting.

In the modern world, beauty isn’t just aesthetic; it’s political. It’s economic. It’s used as a tool — or rather, a weapon. From a business perspective, industries thrive on insecurity. Cosmetics, skincare, fashion, diet culture, plastic surgery — they’re all billion-dollar machines fueled by our fear of not being enough. They sell us a problem, and then sell us the “solution.” And we buy it — sometimes willingly, sometimes unknowingly.

Is beauty power? In some ways, yes. Conventionally attractive people are often granted more opportunities, more attention, more perceived credibility. It’s unfair, but it’s real. Beauty can open doors — socially, professionally, even romantically. But the flip side is darker: when beauty is power, and only a narrow version of beauty is accepted, that power becomes exclusive, elitist, and oppressive. It stops being empowering and becomes imprisoning.

The pressure to conform isn’t just emotional — it’s physical, psychological, and deeply gendered. As a woman, I feel like my body is constantly on display, whether I like it or not. There’s a silent expectation to perform femininity in a certain way. But here’s the truth: we have to stop being afraid of not fitting into the beauty standard. We have to stop shrinking ourselves to fit into a mold that was never made for us in the first place. 

What frustrates me the most is how internalized it all is. So many of us, myself included, have absorbed these standards so deeply that we sometimes police ourselves and each other. We compare, we compete, we criticize. It’s a cycle that benefits no one — except the industries and systems profiting from our insecurities. 

But it doesn’t have to stay this way.

We’re starting to see movements pushing back — diversity in media, unfiltered content, and real conversations about self-worth and representation. It’s slow, and the backlash is real, but it’s happening. The more we talk about it — openly, honestly, and critically — the more power we take back.

So yes, beauty has power. But maybe it’s time we reclaim that power — redefine it, expand it, or even reject the need for it entirely. Because we are so much more than how we look. We are minds, souls, voices, ideas, histories.

And that’s what I want to hold onto — not the impossible standards set by a profit-driven system, but the power of being fully, unapologetically human.