SOAP BOX: You are not ugly, you just think you are

“I HATE myself! I am so ugly.” As part of my job as a photographer for the Daily, I hear this every day.

"I HATE myself! I am so ugly."

As part of my job as a photographer for the Daily, I hear this every day.

These are not the actual words that many people utter when I pull out the camera to take a photo.

It's probably: "Can you Photoshop me" or "I'll break your camera" or "I don't take a good photo" or "Make me look good."

But between the lines what they are really saying is that they don't think they are good-looking enough.

So how did it get to this?

How can we have such low self-esteem?

It must be low self-esteem, because these people are definitely not joking.

The media may have contributed, I suspect.

With magazines and television adorned with quintessential beauty.

We are living in a world of models and supermodels, and it's within the realms of possibility that folk actually see these magazines and TV shows and say "now that's a good looking person."

But then they (subconsciously or consciously) compare the image to themselves.

They see a discrepancy and freak.

This phenomenon is an epidemic.

But the worst part is that I have had children say the same sort of things to me, probably copying their parents.

So come on people.

Beauty lies within and if you don't believe it either get some counselling or at least stop teaching your children the same bad habits.

If you can't manage that then think of another line when I pick up my camera.

And know this: You are not ugly, you just think you are.

Originally published as SOAP BOX: You are not ugly, you just think you are