Confidence is NOT Defined by Gender

When I saw this image, I immediately wanted to write to whomever created this poster and let them know that not all women lack confidence and self-esteem, just like not all men have exorbitant amounts of confidence and self-esteem. 

As we have talked about in class, men experience very similar negative images from the media as women do. 

While women are told they need to be tan, and thin, and have sex appeal... Men are told they need to be tall, and fit (6-pack and large biceps), and play a variety of sport/like and enjoy sports in general. 

Men are told they need to be the flirty one's, and to hit on women, they need to buy their date dinner, and open doors for them. They are told they need to be "gentlemen", but at the same time, they need to be rough and tough and get dirty. 

Men receive a lot of the same mixed messages that women do, but because women are so vocal about it - yet somehow things are changing as a turtle's pace - and men are not as vocal about it (likely because they are also told that they are not allowed to be passionate about sensitivity issues, they need to 'man up' and need to have a tough outer shell), the media for men is not changing. Male models all look the same, and give men an unachievable ideal, just as women receive an unattainable ideal. 

We are all people, we are all made differently, we are all unique, we are all beautiful. 

Confidence doesn't rely on gender, it relies on self. 

If you're interested in spreading some confidence building material, and in general putting a smile on stranger's faces... try out: http://www.operationbeautiful.com/