The Bully and the Nerd

“Everyone’s a critic” , words uttered by Sherlock Holmes in the famous TV drama Sherlock, after he explains the method he used to fake his death.

One of my work colleagues lost around 40 pounds of weight due to an illness that required a drastic change in her diet. She is not a woman particularly hung up on appearances; but apparently rest of the people in the work area (in different departments) took pains to applaud her, in order to appreciate the weight loss. These were almost always women (some men too) who had no idea that she was sick, who when informed about the illness, proceeded blithely, “Look at the bright side. At least, you lost weight”.

With people like these around you, who needs enemies.

The scenario is a glaring evidence of the kind of social conditioning that surrounds the issue of weight and attractiveness. If you don’t look half starved you are not attractive, at least according to the various fashion magazines,  we can see lying in the vicinity, or on TV. Why do we, as people, place such an emphasis on physical attractiveness?

Healthy people who have normal weight are embarrassed because they don’t fit into the size zero clothing.

Why is it so important to fit in certain clothes, look a certain way and behave in a certain fashion so that we may retain our jobs, get grants or promotions and get to choose a partner who loves US, not the anorexic billboard models (who date many people, get divorced multiple times, have hidden affairs and the list goes on)?

Who are we actually emulating and for what?  What if we try to emulate the whole lifestyle; affairs and all …………………..

Good Grief!