Now, what was I just saying??? I received this is in an email today, from a girlfriend in the states. Along with a whole heap of other fluffy-angel-miracle garbage embedded in html in the email with oversized multi-coloured font, the prevailing message of the email was 'love thy sister/amazing girlfriend' or something along those lines. Yet lo and behold, at the bottom of the email, had snuck in THIS sneaky sucker.
I see this as manifest proof re: my treatise on frenemy culture. Clearly, this is such a rife phenomenon that there are email jokes about it!
Why do we yearn for the misfortune of others to enhance ourselves? Is this overly cute picture with poignant typefont actually a mirror to the modern psyche? Is the cat correct - if surrounded by morbidly obese lasses, will I feel superior by comparison? Is this cat actually evil, conjuring ill-fortune for those she loves best?
I suppose this reflects a few truisms: firstly, that being comparatively thinner to one's nearest and dearest may result in a self-viewed role of 'the thin one.' Is it the Bridezilla phenomenon again? An ugly maid of honour to throw one's bridal beauty into starker contrast?
Conversely, it is equally true that if one's nearest and dearest are quite slim and healthy, one can feel healthy and slim by extension, and indeed grow (shrink) to be more like them. Similarly, I believe that if one has a stunning bridal party, then you must be pretty stunning too ;)
So why yearn for negative contrast to make one feel superior, when we could reflect beauty that's already there instead? It's win-win!
And really, the cat creeps me out.
1 comment:
I think it is human nature to be jealous of other peoples achievements. Whatever they might be. A lot of people are insecure and like to have a place where they fit into and know where they are at, so to speak. So when someone loses weight that can upset where they fit into the group. Suddenly they can be the fat friend. Jealousy can be a very powerful and ugly emotion. My mother-in-law is doing WW with my Sister-in-law and myself and we have lost a significant amount of weight and she is still yoyoing around the same weight she was when she started 4+ months ago. She wants to know our 'Secret' to weightloss and goes out of her way to dish up heaps bigger meals for us then herself, if we are at her house for tea. I tell her the 'secret; is eating less and moving more, it's not rocket science but we are just more determined to lose weight then she is. I have friends like this also but I just shrug it off and keep on going because at the end of the day I know what I want and that is to lose weight and look good. Whether I have their support or not, I will do this.
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