There have been different mottos that I have applied to my own life including “Hakuna Matata,” “No Regrets” or “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” These sayings are definitely important and play a role in how I live my life, but I have recently discovered that my all time favorite life motto is “No Shame.” To me, shame is an unnecessary feeling to have towards other people and, more importantly, towards yourself. It is so easy for society to shame people based on their decisions and we tend to forget to respect others. I believe in not being ashamed of who you are while also not judging others. Here are a few examples of how society shames people and how we can deal with these situations:
1. Major shaming
Major shaming is the bane of my existence. First of all, there is a reason that there are different areas of study in college. Yes, it might seem like a shocker that people are different and have a variety of interests in both career goals and passions. That’s kind of how life works. So, why do some students still major shame? Advertising and Public Relations is just as good of a major as Biology and vice versa. Not everyone in the world has to share your interests and if that were the case, then the world would just be boring. Ever heard of that phrase, “You were born an original. Don’t die a copy?” Well, it’s true. The beauty of college and meeting different people is that they have different interests, goals, and dreams than you. Meeting people with different interests and viewpoints should inspire you and challenge you, not discourage you. So, continue working on achieving your goals, but never discourage other people for having different ones. As for those of us who sometimes do feel the major shame, keep on doing you and always follow your dreams. To me, having a unique passion is all of the #goals.
2. Body shaming
It’s easy for any of us to feel ashamed about ourselves, especially if people joke about our insecurities. Body shaming is a huge issue in society today, especially for young adults like us. In the media, we see so many tabloids and advertisements for having the “perfect” body. Magazines glorify celebrities who are skinny while others may look down on people who do happen to be naturally skinny. Either way, shaming anyone for any body type should not be acceptable. Judging and degrading others for something as superficial as the shape of their body has terrible affects on one’s self esteem. It’s so easy for a person to feel vulnerable when someone comments on their body and if people keep picking on you for your weight, you can start to believe the criticisms and feel more insecure. The worst feeling is not hearing someone make a snide comment about your body, but being ashamed of yourself when you look in the mirror. Sadly, people are going to think what they want and say what they want. The important lesson to learn is to love yourself and do things for your own sake. Get to the point where other’s criticisms do not affect you anymore. Remember to take care of your body because YOU want to, not for someone else. So next time you look in the mirror, take time to appreciate and love what you see.
3. Stigma surrounding mental illness
Shame and stigma is seen in society around people who struggle with, and those who even comfortably live with, a mental disorder. Mental illness is looked down upon by many people due to a lack of education of the true facts about disorders. People tend to think that someone who may happen to have a disorder is “crazy,” but that word, along with other ways that stigma perpetuates in society, is one of the main reasons why people who struggle are hesitant in getting help. We should focus on debunking the myths surrounding mental illness and working towards ways to prevent any future mental health cases. We are supposed to bring people up, not tear them down, especially during hard times. People should not feel ashamed for a having a mental disorder because like every other illness or diseases, no one is at fault for developing that disorder. So, let’s get rid of the shame surrounding mental illness by getting our facts straight and spreading the love.
These are only a few situations where shame is seen in society, but it is always important to remember to embrace who you are. Do not be ashamed of yourself because the time you spend criticizing yourself is time you lose loving and improving yourself. Make sure that whatever you do in life, you do because you truly want to and don’t forget that your happiness does come first. Living for others is great, but living for yourself is important too. So, stay healthy and happy, Ramblers and “go forth and set the world on fire.”