“Siddhartha was thus loved by everyone. He was a source of joy for everybody, he was a delight for them all. But he, Siddhartha, was not a source of joy for himself, he found no delight in himself.”

Upon reading “Siddhartha” by Hermann Hesse, I came across the important idea of one’s own happiness and healthy self esteem. This state is achieved from within, but many view external happiness as an easier route for quick pleasure. The population of people that chooses external happiness, which is the majority of us, makes up our society. Society is a heartless world, however, treating every individual like Jenga blocks, setting us up only to knock us down. As a result, we tend to fall under pressure of the expectations today’s society established on us. This pressure is what leads to the decline of our self esteem, making us feel like we have only a small place in this world and making us constantly worried that we aren’t good enough to today’s standards.

Becoming a teenager is particularly the time when you begin to face tons of backlash, hate, and criticism, all of which you must face head on. No one ever said it was easy dealing with all of this, which is why it’s difficult to keep a happy face on all the time. As you can see in the photo above, the woman is deciding which facial expressions to put on for the day. No matter how many masks she wears or how well she hides her true face, her internal sadness and depression does not and will not go away. As she’s gazing up in the clouds with the somber look on her face, it is obvious that she’s tired of building facades every time she is seen by the public.

Take a listen of the song above, but pay close attention to the lyrics. At first listen, you might perceive the song as another breakup song where the girl tries to get over the guy or vice versa. However, this song speaks more than that because Madison Beer is actually trying to send a message to society, stating all the pain and mental instability that she struggles with. For example, one of the lines says “Diets that I shouldn’t try, feels like social suicide”, which reflects on how society sees a perfect body (for women) as skinny, big breasts, small waist, toned legs, flat stomach, etc. This “perfect” body image forces all women to scramble like chickens in a coop to achieve the best body, no matter the risk of harming themselves in the process.

Being sad is ok. Being sad shouldn’t be something that’s looked down upon, but taken into account so that it can be avoided or lessened in the future. Bottling up your emotions will only lead to an unhealthy outburst in the time to come. It might seem selfish to put yourself before others, but sometimes it’s just necessary in order to fulfill your internal happiness. In times of trouble, remember that all you need is a little self love.