The pursuit of only physical beauty leads to unhealthiness and unhappiness. Photoshop models appear beautiful at first, but become grotesque once one realizes that their body types are wholly unnatural. Young girls who are exposed to the fashion industry are negatively affected. They aim to become as beautiful as these models, but undoubtedly always fall short and harm themselves in the process. In history, individuals in societies which especially valued aesthetic qualities, luxury, and the pursuit of beauty often valued social status above all other things. Several defining characteristics of those societies were corruption, shifting alliances, love affairs, and gossip. A society which demonstrates a loose relationship with the truth nurtures a population that secretly lives in the depths of despair. People cannot thrive in an environment where they cannot be free. They become suffocated by artificiality and duplicity.

I believe that there are many forms of love. For instance, before a couple begin their relationship, they have to meet each other, either through an introduction or through some other form. They might not always have an instant connection, but eventually they learn more about each other. This is where the love starts, they become attracted to the different aspects of one another. In order for the relationship to work, they have to love spending time with one another. But even before being in a relationship, if they cannot love each other as friends, then they wouldn’t be able to comfortably share their secrets, past, or problems with their partners.

Love isn’t just “Oh, we’re together, I love you now”. Honestly, it’s extremely easy to fall for anyone. If you only see the good parts of a person, then what isn’t there to love? But they more time you spend with another, the more you learn about each other, and the more you accept each other for one another’s flaws, the deeper and stronger that love becomes. Don’t get me wrong, there are many people who lie about their feelings, they’ll say they love each other even though they don’t mean it. But that doesn’t mean that those who have been lied to have to fear the word. If a person is in a relationship and their significant other tells them they love them, they shouldn’t feel obliged to say they love them back. If a person doesn’t mean it, they just shouldn’t say it, no one gains anything of importance over lying.

“I want a Nikon D90”, “I want a Canon T2i”, or “I want a D-SLR” (in general). Firstly, I am sick and tired of hearing about wanting the latest and greatest equipment thinking that, that is the only way to be a good photographer. Don’t think that if you have a high-end camera, that you’re automatically a good photographer. Secondly, learn how to use a camera. Most people I know who jump into photography with a Nikon, Canon, or any D-SLR don’t even understand the basic functions on the camera they just bought. So please, before you start taking photographs, take time and read the manual provided.