We’re all human beings, just aching to be accepted. Nothing will ever stop the equation of our lives from having plus and minus points, and indeed it shouldn’t. Variety is what makes the world so beautiful.
Dating, however, can come loaded with unsavoury presumptions about body image, personal habits, and the way you carry yourself. Landing a match who loves you, flaws and all, is the outcome we all strive for. The precedent of that, though, is loving yourself first. Here are 5 reasons to be proud of who you are…
1. Appearances are deceiving
The perfect man or woman haunts our makeup drawers, our shopping sprees, and our diet plans. Wherever we go in society, the spectre of superhuman attainment follows like a dim mist at our heel. The thing is, having cheekbones sharp enough to cut a diamond, or a body bulging with overworked muscle, isn’t enough for those who do have these attributes. A glorious surface can’t hide a personality that’s lacking in the core, and vain, ‘attractive’ people tend to have as much insecurity as the rest of us.
2. It’s good to be embarrassed sometimes
If you’re used to making a fool of yourself at parties, or get asked regularly to repeat your order at a fast food chain, there’s a certain merit to it. You may not believe this at the time, but being undermined can keep our egos in check, making us more empathetic to others in a similar position. You can therefore seduce someone on the basis of your emotional intelligence, even though you might not know it.
3. The best people are weird
Summon a rollcall of geniuses for a moment: Einstein, Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Mark Zuckerberg… did any of these eggheads care what others thought of them? Well, perhaps, but their talents dictated otherwise, which is why we know their names today. Anyone who’s obsessive about something, especially something that could add value to the world, should be okay about seeming a little intense now and then.
4. Habits will find a friend
No matter how perceptively odd your pastimes are – toilet paper origami, anyone? – there’ll be someone who shares your sticky passion. The internet has dashed any preconceptions that we’re alone in anything out the window; with patience, you’ll find your partner in crime before long, or at least someone who appreciates your quirks.
5. Everything is subjective
Say, for a moment, that you’re a die-hard punk chick who fearlessly dots her face in piercings, wears military boots, and embraces dreadlock conditioning. To some, this may be the antithesis of a romantic figure, the very style they tend to avoid. To others though, she’s the girl of their dreams, a supernova of charm and attitude. Our point being: whatever one person dislikes, you can guarantee there’ll be a contrary response, and you might only realise you’re irresistible when someone tells you upfront.
FreeAndSingle is extremely proud of daters who can stride to their meet-ups with confidence, panache, and a pinch of self-deprecation. Accepting your innermost strangeness lets you love the skin you’re in, both in terms of how you see yourself, and what others will remember once you break that parting hug.
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