Pretty Girl Rock

I came across this quote from Marilyn Monroe today: "All little girls should be told they are pretty, even if they aren't." I can agree with this, to a certain extent. I do believe self esteem is a thing that needs to be built up, so as to not crumble when inevitably attacked. But, to imply that there is a formula, or set of rules to abide by which makes one "pretty," I do not agree with. "...even if they aren't." What exactly would make them un-pretty? To me, there is no such thing. To define not pretty, there must be a clear definition of the term pretty. Can we fully define what makes someone pretty and what makes someone not as pretty? Scientist's argue symmetry in one's face or body. However, on more than one occasion, I have heard girls exclaim emphatically, "Wait! Stop, take the picture from the left. The left side of my face is better." I am even guilty of this. According to scientist's in America, I am not pretty. My nose is crooked, which makes the two sides of my face unsymmetrical and uneven. Another flaw I have are my lips. They are violently thin and constantly chapped. Needless to say, boys aren't lined up outside waiting to steal a kiss. But, despite what science and pop culture has told me all of my life, I still feel pretty most of the time. I guess I should give more credit to my self esteem then anything else. I just have this overwhelming belief in my heart and mind, the belief that physical beauty is entirely objective, and changes from culture to culture. It is a belief which I'm sure many people would say they can agree with. I find it so liberating to know that physical beauty is defined differently all over the world. There are no cookie-cutter ideals of beauty, variety is accepted and sought after! Physical beauty and being perceived as attractive by men has been another one of my concerns (along with me figuring out who the hell I am, of course). I think it's because you show the world a piece of your identity with your clothes, your hair, your skin, and how other's perceive you will primarily be due to their first impression of you. Hopefully with time, I'll be able to determine how I want to present myself to the world. But right now, that is still a mystery to me. Until that becomes apparent,  I'll just keep listening to"Pretty Girl Rock" by Keri Hilson, and continue fantasizing about my future fabulousness.