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A review by cara_ready
More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament by Lexie Kite, Lindsay Kite
5.0
"Prettiness is not a rent you pay for occupying a space marked 'female. '" - Erin McKean.
Reading this was therapeutic for me. I listened to the audiobook and I will probably buy a physical copy to re-read and mark up. We all know we have been told to look a certain way and the messaging comes at us every day through ads and social media.
Reading the entire psychology behind these messages and the language that may not seem harmful but is, was eye-opening and a good reminder that we are not objects to be viewed, our bodies serve us. I have always been petite, to the point that a lot of people commented on how small I was growing up. The authors discuss how commenting on someone’s small size is harmful even when it is well-meaning. I remember hitting puberty and gaining weight which is a very normal thing to happen to a growing body. I was distraught by my weight gain because people had always commented on how small I was and I felt that validation slipping from me. I was still not heavy by any means but I became obsessed with my weight gain. I always felt guilty for this but hearing other examples of this in the book made me feel reassured I am not the only one.
I had also never thought about how much body hyper fixation can affect the rest of our lives. The example they gave was “I will be sitting in a meeting at work but all I can think about is how my stomach roll looks when I am sitting down”. It made me realize how much of my thoughts on my body occupy space in realms of my life where it does not belong.
I have been working on my body neutrality and trying to dismiss the idea that my body should look any sort of way because the perfect body does not exist. No matter how much we think the women we follow on Instagram have perfect bodies, that is an idea, not a fact. Even body positive posts and selfies can be harmful because it is still putting your face, your body on display to be looked at. I liked that the authors made a point to say that while this is not a terrible thing to do, keep in mind that your body is not meant to simply be seen. Also, think about how your post may affect someone else viewing it and the view they have of their own body.
Reading this was therapeutic for me. I listened to the audiobook and I will probably buy a physical copy to re-read and mark up. We all know we have been told to look a certain way and the messaging comes at us every day through ads and social media.
Reading the entire psychology behind these messages and the language that may not seem harmful but is, was eye-opening and a good reminder that we are not objects to be viewed, our bodies serve us. I have always been petite, to the point that a lot of people commented on how small I was growing up. The authors discuss how commenting on someone’s small size is harmful even when it is well-meaning. I remember hitting puberty and gaining weight which is a very normal thing to happen to a growing body. I was distraught by my weight gain because people had always commented on how small I was and I felt that validation slipping from me. I was still not heavy by any means but I became obsessed with my weight gain. I always felt guilty for this but hearing other examples of this in the book made me feel reassured I am not the only one.
I had also never thought about how much body hyper fixation can affect the rest of our lives. The example they gave was “I will be sitting in a meeting at work but all I can think about is how my stomach roll looks when I am sitting down”. It made me realize how much of my thoughts on my body occupy space in realms of my life where it does not belong.
I have been working on my body neutrality and trying to dismiss the idea that my body should look any sort of way because the perfect body does not exist. No matter how much we think the women we follow on Instagram have perfect bodies, that is an idea, not a fact. Even body positive posts and selfies can be harmful because it is still putting your face, your body on display to be looked at. I liked that the authors made a point to say that while this is not a terrible thing to do, keep in mind that your body is not meant to simply be seen. Also, think about how your post may affect someone else viewing it and the view they have of their own body.