Under the Pressure of Beauty

Let’s stop deriving women’s value from their appearance

Today’s young women face a number of confusing contradictions when it comes to beauty. They don't want to be Barbies, but like generations of women before them, they are convinced that's how they should look. They are outraged by how the media treats women, but at the same time, they hungrily consume content that demeans them. They understand that what they see isn’t real, yet they still download apps to edit their photos. They mock the absurd modern ideal of beauty—while simultaneously feeling pressure to imitate the very ideals they criticise.

Women’s interest in beauty is not a sign of superficiality or weakness. It is a direct consequence of a culture that instils in women from a young age that their value is primarily based on how they look.

Psychologist Renee Engeln calls this beauty sickness, and in this book, supported by two decades of research, she shows just how deeply it is rooted in our society—in advertising, on social media, in the language we use every day, and in seemingly innocent comments. She also adds practical advice on what we can do about it.

After reading, you will know, for example:

what beauty sickness is, how it works, and why it controls us; how societal ideals influence your self-perception; how deeply the distorted view of women is rooted in society; whether objectification is always problematic; how we can fight against societal pressure for beauty; or how to redirect your energy to areas where it makes sense.