quote:

Originally posted by OrangestO What were you replying to or talking about, though?

Partly the fortune-cookie philosophy of "Looking inwards for happiness", and partly the suggestion that body-image obsession is some kind of growing cult, implying it's some kind of recent phenomenon.

___________________
Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

quote:

Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Partly the fortune-cookie philosophy of "Looking inwards for happiness", and partly the suggestion that body-image obsession is some kind of growing cult, implying it's some kind of recent phenomenon.

I didn't state body-image obsession was some recent phenomenon. I work in marketing; I know what's going on, lol.

But using plastic surgery to deal with it is.

http://www.surgery.org/media/news-r...first-time-ever

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For the first time on record, Americans spent more than 13.5 billion dollars on combined (surgical and nonsurgical) aesthetic procedures in a single calendar year, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). The total reflects a 1.5-billion-dollar increase from 2014. Surgical procedures accounted for 58% of the total expenditures, surpassing the 8-billion-dollar mark for the first time ever, and nonsurgical procedures accounted for 42% of the total expenditures, surpassing the 5-billion-dollar mark for the first time ever. “Our industry’s growth is considerable, but not at all surprising,” states James C. Grotting, MD, President of ASAPS. “It reflects a healthy and robust economy wherein many people can afford to, and want to invest in themselves. As editor Joel Stein aptly pointed out last year in TIME Magazine’s article, Nip. Tuck. Or Else., more people now perceive aesthetic enhancements and procedures as essential. I personally believe the motivating factors for that are varied, but remaining competitive in the workforce is certainly a common factor. Youth is a commodity, and people are investing in themselves to maintain a younger, healthier appearance,” Grotting explains. ASAPS’ data also reflects emerging and changing trends from previous years, including: Breast lifts replacing rhinoplasty as the 5th most popular procedure for the year, (with liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck and eyelid surgery in the 1st – 4th places respectively) Fat transfer to the face, (a new category for ASAPS this year) instantly landed in the top 10 surgical procedures in the number 9 slot. Nonsurgical skin tightening jumped from 9th to 7th most popular procedure in the nonsurgical category, while also securing the 5th spot for most popular procedures among men, replacing microdermabrasion in the top 5 for males. Labiaplasty, still considered a ‘new’ procedure, saw another increase in 2015, (16%) as did buttock augmentation, with a 21% increase in implants and fat transfer combined, and a 32% increase in buttock lifts. The two most popular injectables year-over-year, (botulinum toxin and hyaluronic acid) both saw continued growth, with botulinum toxin, (BOTOX, Dysport and Xeomin) surpassing 4 million procedures performed and hyaluronic acid, (Juvederm Ultra, Ultra Plus, Voluma, Perlane, Restylane, Belotero) surpassing the 2 million procedures performed mark for the first time this year as well. Daniel C. Mills, MD, President-Elect states, “Ever-popular procedures, including liposuction and breast augmentation, also saw growth this year as the first and second most popular surgical procedures overall, accounting for nearly 40% percent of the surgical procedures performed, demonstrating that the power and permanence of the knife continues to dominate the plastic surgery marketplace.”

And you call it fortune-cookie philosophy, I call it the way to live a life in a positive way - spiritually, emotionally, yada, yada, yada. I only speak of my own experience, of course. But eastern philosophy is helping just as much as books like Mate's in overcoming my own insecurities, addictions, etc. Unfortunately, most people treat that philosophy like it came from a fortune cookie and just throw it away without serious consideration or implementation into their own lives.

Sort of on topic, there is a high rate of suicide associated with some orthognathic surgeries (which are not usually done for cosmetic purposes), because the patients aren't able to cope with the extreme/drastic/sudden change in their appearance - even if the new appearance may be perceived as "better."


It's that kind of reasoning which is why I'm personally so off put by the thought of cosmetic surgery and/or changing/enhancing/whatever my appearance. I think I would have a hard time accepting myself/feeling like my authentic self. I just don't know if I would ever get over the whole "fake" aspect of it.

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Originally posted by OrangestO And you call it fortune-cookie philosophy, I call it the way to live a life in a positive way - spiritually, emotionally, yada, yada, yada. I only speak of my own experience, of course. But eastern philosophy is helping just as much as books like Mate's in overcoming my own insecurities, addictions, etc. Unfortunately, most people treat that philosophy like it came from a fortune cookie and just throw it away without serious consideration or implementation into their own lives.

Okay. Well, I'll try to say this in the least confrontational way possible. If such mantras have helped you improve your own mentality then I won't begrudge you that. But I find there's a certain impression of arrogance (perhaps unintentional) in people preaching such wafer thin sentiments as though they have diagnosed the cause of other people's spiritual ailments. And I can't help but notice that it's always the people with the most problems who have the most to say about what others should "implement into their lives".

My point is that the gap between plastic surgery and other forms of appearance improvement is mainly down to practical considerations of cost, results and safety, rather than some grand conceptual distinction. When it becomes as easy to have cosmetic surgery as it is to have a haircut, everyone will start doing it.

___________________
Mixes:
> Maximum Elevation [Progressive House]
> DI.FM 26th Anniversary Guest Mix [Progressive House]
> Live @ Dance:Love:Hub London, 11.10.2025
> Higher Peaks [Progressive House]
> Dance:Love:Hub Afterparty (The Return) 23.11.24

Like these sets? Come see me play live at Kibosh in Manchester: https://www.instagram.com/kibosh.mcr/

Everyone practically already IS doing it. Shit's becoming like Brave New World, and everyone who DOESN'T cosmetically enhance themselves will be considered savages.

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Originally posted by SYSTEM-J Okay. Well, I'll try to say this in the least confrontational way possible. If such mantras have helped you improve your own mentality then I won't begrudge you that. But I find there's a certain impression of arrogance (perhaps unintentional) in people preaching such wafer thin sentiments as though they have diagnosed the cause of other people's spiritual ailments. And I can't help but notice that it's always the people with the most problems who have the most to say about what others should "implement into their lives".

Maybe because those people have usually experienced the darkest and deepest corners of reality as we know it today - at least the westernized version. Usually from birth all the way through their adult lives until they 'snap' out of it, as some would love to put it. And most never do.

When you live on one side of the spectrum all your life and manage to somehow break through that nearly impenetrable wall to the other side, it feels pretty fucking glorious. You want to share that. And yea, I get that it can come off as preachy to those individuals who never had to deal with that sort of reality. But there are commons threads in all of our lives.

Can't we learn from those who have been to the dark side? From those who overcame the harshest of circumstances to become better humans?

I will never 'preach' to others. Preaching never reaches those who need to be reached the most, anyways. I will only share my own story and how I'm managing to overcome the obstacles that I've had to face myself. Considering how fucked my story has been at times, and how much I've lived on that extreme side of the spectrum for most of it relative to where I was born and raised, it's important to communicate what has helped me and how.

Some people are ready and happy to hear it; most consider chalk it off as preaching and want to just say fuck off.