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5 Questions Raised When I Hear “Fat Phobic”…
How we perceive beauty
Aristotle’s theory of beauty emphasizes the importance of order, symmetry, proportion, unity, coherence, purpose, and goodness in creating beautiful objects. His ideas can be found throughout his works, especially the Metaphysics and the Nicomachean Ethics. –What is Beauty? Timeless Philosophies and Modern Perspectives
I’m a literal thinker, so when I hear “fat-phobic”, what comes to mind is fear of fat. In particular, I hear “fear of being fat” since it makes no sense to fear another person who happens to be fat.
I realize fat phobia is about our negative internal and external responses to “people of size”, but this also makes no sense. We can’t help our perceptions of beauty and what we find unattractive. I can’t help finding thinness more attractive than fatness. Even if I knew the roots of this preference, I couldn’t change it.
What I can do is rise above my natural inclinations in the ways I relate to others. Choosing this requires a willingness from a compassionate heart and a mind willing to have its assumptions challenged and changed. The image I chose for this article proclaims that a fat person can be more able and fit than you are. My balance is pathetic, so I’d be flat on my face if I attempted her pose.
