Gilda

It's not that I don't like any kind of a V, I'm just not a fan of the exaggerated version. I think a guy looks better trim and lean than with the huge chest/tiny waist.

Maybe part of it is that I'm gay, so I tend to look at guys more from an aesthetic point of view that's nearly entirely detached from the visceral reaction most women have.

I think it's a case of taking a general concept to an extreme without understanding that the extreme version is often less desirable than the a more moderate one. For example, larger breasts are often seen as more attractive than small ones, but there is a limit at which larger continues to be more attractive. Likewise, lean is generally seen as more attractive than fat (though not universally), but there are limits to this--I'm a bit too thin for most guys' tastes.

This can apply to all sorts of things other than body image, but you get the point.

Some people accept the general rule that X is better, in this case, more muscular, broad shoulders, a trim waist, a flat stomach, and in the pursuit of that goal lose sight of reasonable limits, and the goal becomes to reach the most extreme position possible--the goal moves relative to one's current status.

That's a good point, and a subtle difference many people miss about self improvement. I excercise, dress in nice clothes, and wear a bit of (I hope) subtly applied makeup on a regular basis mostly because of how it makes me feel about myself rather than what I think others will think of it.

Gilda

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I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.

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