Put a lid on it.

As I'm on holiday at the moment and lying by the pool (stick around, I'm going somewhere with this) it's only natural to have a look around at all the people surrounding me. Men, women. All different nationalities, ages and body shapes. 

I start playing the ranking game. Not very consciously but nevertheless I do it. A woman might be taller and leaner but have a slightly bigger belly. Bigger boobs but chubbier legs. Pretty arms but pasty skin. I think it's a way of confirming my own body shape is not perfect but neither is anyone else's. Would I want to swap one of my flaws for another?

I wonder if we were put in a room by ourselves with no one to compare ourselves to or measure against would we be happier to accept who we are?

Does the culture to share and compare through magazines, social networking etc. feed into our insecurities or is it a way for us to "like" ourselves by highlighting the areas we like and blurring out those which we don't. 

I'm partial to a selfie and I'm no teenager full of angst and self doubt. I like a good picture of any kind. Things I like and think are pretty. My children, friends, a palm tree or a drink. Or my freshly painted nails. Or a picture of my head tilted in a certain way which highlights the parts of myself I like and hides those I could do without. Or just to remember the fun moments of life and be included in the picture. (Seriously, I bet selfies were invented by a mum whose pictures always showed the whole family, except the mum holding the camera). 

Would the effect of a selfie be the same if it wasn't shared? Does a tree make a sound if it falls in a forrest with noone around? Would we be happy to accept our good and bad parts if we had no one to compare ourselves to? Keep the selfie in a box with the lid shut. I'm going to try it. But first, "let me take a selfie".