Reblogging because I have an issue with this. ESPECIALLY painted on a scale. It’s cute, and to a big extent, I think weight isn’t the end-all-be-all of whether you’re ‘in shape’ or not, because muscle weighs more than fat.
Vindictive, jealous, shallow, cruel, those are all terrible things to be, yes, because they hurt others, but being overweight hurts oneself. They’re ALL bad. And While the first ones all paint a picture of someone who is a “bad person”, the last one certainly doesn’t. But it’s still not good! Or even OK.
And being overweight is, perhaps, the easiest of all those things to fix. (Or at least the one with the most clear cut path.) But by putting a quote like that on a scale, it just comes off (to me) as saying ‘eh, who cares if you have this problem, it’s ok, because JKR says so.’
And some people with disagree with me, or think I’m reading too much into a cute quote on a scale. (And really, if you don’t read the quote, it is pretty adorable.) But I see it as just one more thing pulling the wool over people’s eyes. and little things like this add up.
/end rant
(It’s sad that my longest post so far on tumblr - I think?- is a negative one. So I’ll have to come up with something fun and positive to post to make up for it. )Erinn, you have some very good points and I agree with you that “vindictive” is a far different adjective than “fat.” However, I think we come from a different place regarding weight issues. For me, this is a reminder that the number on the scale is not the be all / end all. The number on the scale is not the value of your character or anything more than a number. Yes, weight is something that you can control, but it is not a reflection of you who are and by all means, you should not let it control your life.
Perhaps a better (albeit longer) quote is this one, from Evanna Lynch’s blog for the HPA:
On the other hand, I don’t believe in sweeping these insecurities under the carpet. Doing that is almost as destructive as obsessing over these insecurities. Perhaps many of you bookish individuals who come from bookish families have been brought up to believe that beautifying oneself is a vain, self-seeking, and wasteful practise, as it does nothing to enhance one’s knowledge of the world. My mother grew up in a very loving, intelligent family, but she was not brought up to believe she was beautiful. Sometimes I ask her about her youth and the things she did, and so often her reply is “I didn’t have the confidence for that.” I’m trying to tell you that ignoring them is not the right way to deal with insecurities! Ignoring pain or problems doesn’t make them go away. The fact is you have a body and, as it encases the rest of you, it’s important that you are happy with it.
So I am giving you permission to make yourself feel beautiful! Do whatever it is you have to do to make yourself feel beautiful. If that’s keeping fit and healthy then go for a walk or run in the mornings and be determined to keep it up. Do your makeup, or if you’re bored and want to change your appearance, then dye your hair a different colour. Eventually, by doing these little things and feeling more beautiful, you will break through all the self doubt and find the negative obsession fading away. Don’t get lazy and tell yourself there’s no point; it’s important! Nowadays I know what I need to do to be happy with my appearance: I spend a few minutes in the morning picking out an outfit that will make me feel confident, and then I have the rest of the day, free from the old destructive thoughts, to pursue my creative pursuits– the most important thing!! But I know that if I didn’t take care of my body, I would get really down and feel incapacitated to do even the most menial everyday tasks. Do you ever have a day when you aren’t happy with your hair, or you get a spot, and then for the rest of the day that’s all you can think about?! Basically, my view on taking care of one’s appearance is that it’s important insofar as it helps you to forget your appearance!
I also recall a quote from someone saying something along the lines of “think of all you could accomplish if you put all the energy you wasted worrying about your weight into changing the world.” (I believe this was Jo, though I can’t find any credit for it now)
^THIS.
(Source: dementorkissingbooth, via samantha2k12)
