Bree

I don't know why everyone jumped all over meritocrat. Look at the last line from the OP:
What's so offensive about that?

Plastic surgery is very different from ear piercing, or even more permanent things like tattoos and other forms of body decoration. Breast implants, for example, are a major surgical procedure. You don't just walk in at 7AM and walk out at 5PM with a brand-new rack and then go boating with your boyfriend - it's serious stuff. And it's just boobs - it's not a harelip or being born without a nose. There is a HUGE reason (no pun intended) why a 15 year old girl would want to undergo a painful surgical process to up her breast size from an A to a C-cup (there was an article in a woman's magazine about this early last year).

Another question: what are the parents thinking, and what is their motivation? I know they want to make their daughter happy and feel better about herself, but seriously folks, how far can you go?

meritocrat

Well shaving is not a permanent change to one's appearence.

Quote:

More to the point, why do you constantly inflict your narrow-minded and shallow judgments on us? Do you think that someone whose posts invariably involve a negative judgment about some other group of people whose behavior or habits he disapproves of might have issues that should be better worked out elsewhere?

I have no 'issues' and am emotionally healthy. I just dislike people who AREN'T emotionally healthy. Who are you to say what I can and cannot appove of? Have I hit close to home?

Quote:

Finally, in addition to whatever problems this repeated behavior of yours might indicate, it does nothing for Infidels. It does not create solidarity, disseminate information, rouse people to take action, amuse, delight, or divert. Perhaps, in light of this, you might consider revising your posting style to accomodate the needs and growth of our community. Vorkosigan Moderator

I post her because I enjoy discussing things.

meritocrat

Why can't she accept herself for who she is?

meritocrat

Who are they improving their 'looks' for? Themselves? Other people? Who defines what 'good-looking' is anyhow?

I'm no expert in psychiatry or psychology, but I'd think that a person who 'hates' their appearance lacks self-esteem.

Before someone like Vorkosigan says something, (in my opinion at least) self-esteem should be inherent. You shouldn't have to 'do' or 'attain' something to possess it.

Opera Nut

Meritocrat agrees with this quote, except for the last two words:

Every problem has a solution that is neat, simple, and wrong.


---Henry Louis Mencken, the sage of Baltimore

meritocrat

What does 'wrong' mean in this context?

And why am I 'wrong' to dislike the reasons a person undertakes plastic surgery?

Are people who think that promiscuity is bad 'wrong' to hold their belief (even though, as people have stated to ME in this thread, it does not directly affect them)?

Come on, I want coherent reasons as to why my comments are 'out of place'.

Opera Nut

"Self esteem should be inherent" ????

Not when your parents and your society tell you you are worthless and make you insecure so they can control you and sell you things you don't need. Christianity is especially bad about the worthless part.

And when we have to listen to people who stand over by the side and say "You're wrong just because I say so" ???

Extremely critical people have also said "You don't deserve respect. No one deserves respect. They must EARN it before I will GIVE them any respect."

Yeah right. They think they're perfect and nothing you do is ever good enough. The only answer to that opinion is to walk away and LEAVE.

I personally cannot see why a female would have a breast implant because of the sexual sensitivity of that part of the body.

I can however see why women have breast reduction operations when they have severe back pain etc. from large breasts. That is a major health problem.

I'm not going to spend my life waiting for approval from Meritocrat to have any kind of surgery or procedure, and neither are lots of other people.

A good plastic surgeon will talk to his patient about why they want the procedure. If the patient says "I want to have this done because I know it will change my life", the doctor will stop and back off and say "No, it's not magic. You must do it for yourself not for somebody else that is critical of you."

Meritocrat has never been to a plastic surgeon obviously or been close to anyone who has had a plastic surgery procedure.

Doctors do not feed on the patient's infantile wish that "If I have a perfect nose my life will be perfect." They weed people out like that before they operate. That is not a good candidate for surgery.

ieyeasu

I'd challenge that last. I think that in certain areas of the country especially, doctors do those exact operations. There is no other reason, for example, to have a breast "augmentation".

Secondly, I don't think that meritrocrat wants everyone to check with him before they take an action. I think that instead he is recognizing this behaviour as something he finds unappealing--which we certainly all have done.

Rider

I may be wrong but, would not liking someone because they aren't what you believe to be emotionally healthy be an issue? You say who are we to say who is attractive etc, who are you to say who is emotionally healthy?

meritocrat

I'm sure most psychologists could give an objective view of an emotionally healthy person.