TOW #21 - It's OK to feel insecure sometimes - confidence lapses aren't character flaws

Many beauty trends and feminist movements today emphasize a girl's need to be more confident with themselves at an age and in a society where different pressures lower girls' confidence levels. While loving ourselves and being able to be a girl boss have good intentions, it can sometimes denounce the importance of sometimes-important negative emotions. Jessica Valenti, in her article "It's OK to feel insecure sometimes - confidence lapses aren't character flaws" for the Guardian, Valenti emphasizes that in order to truly love oneself, a person has to forgive themselves for feeling inferior instead of simply shutting those emotions off. As important as it is to stay away from self-hate, people must understand how to face their insecurities in a healthy manner. The "self-esteem industry" emphasizes the need to be self-confident all the time, pointing out the different ways women belittle themselves knowingly or unknowingly. However, there is a difference between self-deprecation due to societal pressures and moments of low tides. In the past, self-confidence was raised often by fitting better to societal standards as portrayed in every situations or in the media, and it's nice that people are moving away from that, but insecurities can sometimes be used to actually improve oneself and reflect on their decisions and portrayal. Just focusing on keeping a high confidence level could block someone from being productive and doing things that are important in reducing those insecurities. It's okay to have bad days, whether you are a man or a woman, and to live a healthier, more respectable life, you must learn to actually look at your insecurities, forgive yourself for having them, and fixing them if necessary, instead of just ignoring it and focusing on the positives.