Your Body Is Just A Tangible Asset

Do you ever look at other people who have a similar body type to you and you think

“Holy shit, they are stunning! I wonder why I can’t see myself the same way….”

Well, I think I’ve figured out a part of the reason (this coupled with shitty societal messaging) so wrap that pretty little head of yours in bubble wrap, because it just might explode with what I am about to say.

YOUR BODY IS JUST THE TANGIBLE REPRESENTATION OF ALL THAT YOU ARE.

What do I mean by this?

When we look at other humans who have a similar shape or body structure to us, we are associating THEM with all the good things we know about them. For example, if you don’t truly truly know someone and you see them online or they are a celebrity or they are a stranger - you are making a bajillion assumptions about them based on nothing but the limited information you are presented with. You might see someone #livingtheirbestlife on instagram or being super kind and glorious and so our brain essentially says: “BEEP BOOP BEEP BOOP (scans the other person’s body) - THIS SHAPE EQUALS THINGS WE BELIEVE TO BE GOOD OR FIND VALUE IN.”

In the brain, neurons that fire together, wire together - so when you look at a person, some neurons are taking in the tangible assets of the person, while other neurons are calculating the MEANING we assign to that particular person. Those 2 different sets of neurons fuse together - assigning a meaning to the shape you are looking at. Like, when you see a figure that looks like your mom (if you had a good relationship with her), you might feel comfort, relief, etc. for a minute until you realize it ISN’T her - just someone that looks like her.

BUT WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME?

Well, just as we have LIMITED information about everyone else (you never know ANYONE 100% - it’s literally impossible), we have 100% information about ourselves. This means we know all of our

SHAME
Disappointments
”poor” behaviours
trauma

And since our brain is hardwired for negativity (thanks, negativity bias), our brain places these things front and center above all the good and amazing feelings we have about ourselves. SO, using the same hypothesis as above - if your brain looks at your body and does a quick scan, it will take in the tangible assets of your body, but it’s also saying “THIS SERIES OF SHAPES/TANGIBLE ASSETS = SHAME, PAST TRAUMA, POOR BEHAVIOURS, LABELS GIVE TO THEM BY SOMEONE ELSE” which are usually not super good things.

We can assume then, that it will always be hard for us to see our body as good, when we are associating it with so many not great things.

Now, if we take this representation that we have already formed with ourselves and couple it with the way media represents certain bodies or the way we talk about certain bodies, it is going to provide confirmation bias for the things your brain already believes to be true. When fat bodies are shown to us as bad, lazy, sloppy, uncomfortable, unloveable people - our brain associates BIG SHAPED BODIES = THE THINGS I MIGHT ALREADY FEEL ABOUT MYSELF OR THE WAY I’VE BEEN TAUGHT TO THINK ABOUT MORALITY AND THESE THINGS. This is why, one of the first steps to overcoming body image (in addition to working through the non-body shit) is to start improving your representation of bodies through social media: look for , confronting the way you and your peers talk about bodies, etc.

Every time you body shame Trump, you are confirming in your mind the things that your brain already thinks about bigger bodies.

You can call him a lot of things, but body shaming will affect you more than it will him.

I’ve always said that body image can’t be about the body because literally every human has body image issues.

(this is not to take away from the fact that certain bodies experience OPPRESSION which is different than shaming)

You can lose all the weight in the world that you desire.
You can change your body to fit societal standards to help reduce the stigma and shame you feel for existing in your body (I don’t blame the person, I blame the system that makes people feel they have to do this to live a stress free life).
Hell, you can continue to hate yourself if you desire (your body, your choice)

BUT IF YOU WANT TO TRULY FIND BODY PEACE AND YOU DON’T TRY TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE UNDERLYING BITS

SHAME
Disappointments
”poor” behaviours
trauma

I believe you will continue to fight a losing battle.
If you can shift what you believe your body represents, to seeing it for what it is, you will recognize that it is just a series of shapes that help your self move throughout the world.
Your body is just the tangible asset and it’s always easier to change tangible bits, than it is to change thoughts and feelings.

AND FOR A HOT MINUTE, CHANGING THE TANGIBLE BITS CAN FEEL REALLY GOOD.
Because society constantly reminds how much of an “achievement” it is and how morally good we are doing.
This can provide a lovely sugar free coating over the

SHAME
Disappointments
”poor” behaviours
trauma

The copious compliments about your tangible asset can make you feel loved, valued, and appreciated
But if the underlying belief is still a simmering pot of shame, disappointment, poor behaviour and trauma
and your body inevitably changes
Those compliments may fade
causing that pot to boil over

Which is why you will still feel bad if you gain any weight, even .5lbs.

You will still be afraid of getting bigger

You will dislike your body’s natural changes & aging process

However, by doing the hard work and digging through all of the tough mental and emotional stuff, you are going to eventually liberate yourself.

At the very least, you will be able to separate the neurons that have fused together “what you feel your body MEANS” and “what your body IS” allowing you to recognize that your body is just a series of shapes that are there to help you, and sometimes, those tangible assets will change as YOU, the person, changes.
Your body isn’t out to get you.
Your body isn’t purposefully defying YOUR expectations of it.
Your body
This series of shapes
Is trying to keep you alive.
And that’s it’s only job.