From: natashavita@mail.earthlink.net
Date: Thu Aug 16 2001 - 13:37:48 MDT
(If my reply comes in twice, this is the correct post)
Original Message:
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From: Helen Fowle helenfowle@hotmail.com
Before I reply to “dualism”, I'd like to respond to your statements below.
(long snip)
>I'm arguing that it is the people who have low self-esteem who may be effected more when modifications become mainstream
It seems to me that those who value their lives would be more apt to modify themselves prior to mainstream acceptance.
>Perhaps take the example of plastic surgery, It used to be about restoring looks/skin tissue after damage, birth defects - now it is about people with low self esteem trying to be happier by thinking that if they change their body they will automatically feel better.<
This is argument that has been an iron-grip for those opposed to plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons. Plastic surgery is still about restoring and improving. (Cosmetic surgery is not plastic surgery. There is a noteworthy difference in the medical certification of a plastic/reconstructive surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon.)
However, the argument that people with low self-esteem are more prone to improve themselves is a myth. Each and every time a person takes a vitamin or drinks a glass of water, does yoga, meditates, skies down a mountain, takes a shower, he feels better about himself. Does this mean the person who does athletics or eats well or practices a positive outlook on life has low self-esteem? I don't think so. Cosmetic enhancements are fairly common today. A person who has surgery to enhance or improve himself does it for any number of reasons: 1. forehead lift and upper blepharoplasty because the pressure on the head causes headaches; or because it gives a more youthful appearance; 2. face lift: a more youthful appearance; 3. rhinoplasty because it reconstructs the nose for better breathing and reduces snoring and/or because it makes the nose more attractive; 4. silk-touch laser helps refinish the skin taking away sun spots which can cause skin cancers such as melanomas or other carcinomas; 5. lip enhance
ments to get the pouchy look which is stylish and some people do feel uncomfortable about thin lips, especially women because it symbolizes their sex organ.
I'm concerned that you might think any of the above procedures is performed because a patient suffers from low self-esteem. While this certainly could be a significant reason, wanting to look better is not such a profound personality disorder as I think some may interpret it to be.
To many, surgery seems like a terribly dramatic step for self-improvement. To others, it is not.
Today, the fact that we can use safe surgical procedures that are minutes to a few hours to resculpt a person's body is so extraordinarily advantageous to people that it seems to me those who go in for a procedure have high self-esteem.
Just take a look at all the overweight, unhappy, poorly postured people walking around America today! Are these examples of high self-esteem?
I'd like to emphasize that there are indeed cases of individuals who are serial patients who get hooked on surgery for the attention, the feeling sick and then the great high from the change. There are also some who practice calorie restriction (CR) who are covering up anorexia. Some folks abuse their children to get attention. But, I'm digressing here while trying to make a point.
I think that what I'm asking is that you sashay out of the box of judging folks who are into resculpting themselves for either health reasons or beautification and consider the transhumanist times we live in. If it is possible, doesn't cost too much, and will help to make our lives happier, people will do it mainly because they love life or miss the life they love
The idea that a person or persons who want to improve on the fragile design of the human body as being “obsessed” with their bodies lacks knowledge, objectivity and vision. Today there is a much journalistic lingo being used to measure ideas rather than dealing with the intelligent concerns about the issues.
Best,
Natasha
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