Yesterday morning, as I was doing some weight sets and watching the TODAY show, I happened to catch this interview with actor Jennifer Love Hewitt, who was talking with Meredith Vieira about her new book. It's a book about all that she's learned about love and dating.
She's smart and adorable, of course. But I was struck by something she said during the interview:
"At 31, there's still so much more I need to know about myself before I can completely give the perfect version of me to somebody."
I almost dropped a weight on my foot.
"Come on, Meredith," I pleaded. Say something.
And right on cue, Meredith said, "Will there be a perfect version?"
Jennifer laughed and said that she hoped so. It wasn't much more than a blip in the interview, but I was gratified to see Meredith challenge the notion of perfection -- even just a little bit. After some more pleasantries about love and life, Meredith also asked Jennifer about the "unflattering" photos of her that made the tabloids a few years ago and her struggles with body image.
Jennifer said that body image isn't an issue for her, but that she worries about the young girls who look up to her and were being told that her body wasn't "good enough."
I think that's admirable. But I think it's just as important to teach young girls that there is no such thing as "perfect."
There's only human. Flaws and all, it's good enough.
I cringe when I hear the word "perfect." I think we should focus on the "best" we can be, but in a balanced sense -- considering our mind and spirit first and then our body.
Posted by: Kristen De Deyn Kirk | 03/24/2010 at 06:05 AM
This woman worries me. She began performing in Hollywood at a very young age, was idolized for her looks, drooled over by horny-toad men for her bosoms, and held up as a standard of physical, yes, perfection. And I think it has severely messed with her head. How could it not? Just that sentence "completely give the perfect version of me to somebody" sets alarm bells clanging in my head. Is this why she broke off her engagement? Why she broke up with her last boyfriend? Because she feels she cannot compete with her own image? Because she is only human, and NOT perfect?
Posted by: Alyssa | 03/24/2010 at 09:22 AM
I agree -- the word "perfect" always scares me. Our "flaws" are what make us unique.
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