Here's looking at you
A recent survey reveals that Thai women would be well advised to take note of the idiom 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'
Most women love nothing more than to post photos of themselves on social network sites like Facebook and Instagram so it seems inconceivable that these same ladies think their looks are average at best.
Yet “Attitudes and Views towards Beauty and Confidence”, a survey conducted by Dove on 1,806 women aged 18 to 64 in Southeast Asia in March, reveals that only one per cent of Thai women described themselves at beautiful. The survey also revealed Thai women spent 24 minutes grooming themselves in a day, slightly more than their sisters in the region, who took 19 minutes.
Most of the Thai women interviewed rated themselves as average rather than outstanding or beautiful. Nine out of 10 women in Thailand also said they were not happy with the way they looked, something of a paradox as 79 per cent of them said that they believed in women’s individual beauty.
The research also found that 66 per cent of Thai women were worried about and felt pressure because of their looks, making them their own worst critics.
That’s clearly illustrated in the viral “Dove Real Beauty Sketches” clip on YouTube.. The clip documents Gil Zamora, an FBI-trained forensic artist, as he creates composite sketches of women from their self descriptions. He then sketches those same women again from strangers’ depictions. The result is surprising, with the sketches drafted from the stranger’s point of view showing a more beautiful, happier and frequently more accurate portrayal.
This lack of confidence has negative effects on the lives of these Thai women, especially as 60 per cent of them are convinced that great looks would give them more opportunities to succeed. Seventy-nine percent of women also mentioned that pleasure and confidence in their own beauty could bring them happiness and make them even happier than being in a successful career or financial strong.
“Women tend to lack confidence because our society judges women’s value on their beauty. For men, it’s different as they are judged on their talent and professional success,” says Amporn Benjapolpitak, the director of the Office of Mental Health Development, Ministry of Public Health.
“And their feelings are not without foundation. Take two equally talented women at the same level and chances are that the one who will do better or get the opportunities is the more beautiful of the two. As women expect more of themselves, they give a lower value to their beauty than when others evaluate them. They look in the mirror and decide they’re not beautiful enough. They see a tiny pimple as a massive spot. That leads to anxiety and lack of self confidence. Some develop even more serious problems like an addiction to plastic surgery or suffer from mental problems like body dysmorphic disorder, where think about their real or perceived flaws for hours each day, as well as eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia.”
“I think the reason why the survey showed that Thai women were less confident than women in other countries is down to the social context and their upbringing. Thai women are certainly as attractive as other women in the world but Thai parents criticise their young daughters rather than telling them they are cute and pretty like in the Western. Thai families are serious about good grades, a high-paid job or being a good person. But in terms of looks, Thai children tend to grow up with less confidence in the way they perceive themselves and especially the way they look,” Amporn adds.
