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My body is my temple?

Amargith

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I appreciate all input on this topic, though in particular that of ISFJs. Thank you.

What is your stance on how to treat your body? In our society, those that are overly into taking care of their body tend to be considered vain, inane, stupid,... And yet, to push your body relentlessly is definitely not healthy.

My mother, for instance, tends to be against anything that's lotion, day cream, make-up, frilly girly stuff, and so on. She also puts other needs above her own, making her body last in priority at all times UNLESS her body gets in the way of her other priorities. Then she'll get it fixed...but only to be able to get back to those other priorities. She also tends to view those that are too overly into 'indulging themselves' as spineless and drama queens.

On the other hand, those 'drama queens' often take care of their skin, do some sport to maintain their body, take the necessary time off for themselves to relax so they are able to go at it again later on. And they probably have fewer issues with their body as they grow older because of it. They consider it important to take care of themselves and can sometimes be 'selfish' by letting other things slide and prioritizing themselves. But is that really so bad?

Taking care of your health and your body, even your body image seems to be very important in society these days. Considering the fact that we live longer than we used to, our bodies have to 'last' longer than before. Taking better care of it stands to reason. Body image is an important part of being successful in this society and getting things done, so really..is it such a bad thing to do?

For that matter, one of the hypes these days is to take care of yourself, and your body, to find time to relax, and ohm. Or..is this just a lot of showing off, dramaqueening and excuses for indulgance and selfish behavior?
 

revolve

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this used to be something i used to ponder . . . a lot. my mother is just like your mother to a "t" & my aunts (her sisters) are the same way . . . so growing up they always made me feel like i was ridiculous for caring . . . like i was vain, self-centered, superficial etc. etc. . . . & it was very confusing back then. my response / reply may not at all answer your question but i feel like the beauty industry is an ugly greedy monster & it is ultra important to be aware of this. do men spend time thinking about the skin on their heels or the size of their pores or the texture of their thighs??? absolutely not. spend a week - a month not looking at any women's magazines or TV commercials & when you are out & about shopping avoid the makeup / beauty product aisles & displays & when you are around other females try to stay out of & away from any talk of "being fat" or our bodies / looks in general . . . and then tell me how you feel . . . this is what i do *NOW* because i went the other way for a few years because i didn't want to look the way my mom & aunts looked. i was terrified of becoming "frumpy" and "plain" like them. i have a lot more to say on this topic but this is where i'll begin . . .
 

Kyrielle

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Taking care of your health and your body, even your body image seems to be very important in society these days. Considering the fact that we live longer than we used to, our bodies have to 'last' longer than before. Taking better care of it stands to reason. Body image is an important part of being successful in this society and getting things done, so really..is it such a bad thing to do?

For that matter, one of the hypes these days is to take care of yourself, and your body, to find time to relax, and ohm. Or..is this just a lot of showing off, dramaqueening and excuses for indulgance and selfish behavior?

Absolutely not. However, spending ALL of one's time taking care of the body to the point where such behavior is obsessive (consumes one's mind day and night) is not good and probably what is imagined by someone who is "vain". But keeping up general maintenance on the body, making sure the muscles are used daily, eating right, keeping the skin and joints in good condition, and taking time out to let it recharge are all the same kinds of things that are done to ensure machines are working efficiently. And while this machine analogy works on some level, we cannot forget that the mind and body are intertwined. So many people who feel good physically will generally feel good mentally and emotionally.
 

revolve

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+1 kyrielle :) the machine analogy is the perfect analogy . . . like . . . you don't want to be the weird car obsessed guy that is outside everyday with his "summer only" sports car waxing it & shining the rims & talking nonstop about getting this & that done to the car or getting a new faster engine put in when the current engine is fine . . . those dudes are boring, obsessive & weird . . . right . . . well we (as females) should be aware of ourselves NOT to fall into that trap of being like the sports car/ vintage car guys . . . because that's what the beauty industry wants us to be like. the beauty industry wants us to loathe ourselves so that we spend spend spend. but general maintenance is absolutely a must & your soul is housed inside your body . . . don't forget . . . doesn't your beautiful soul deserve a well kept home?
 

BerberElla

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My ISFJ friend uses lotions and cares to some extent what she looks like, but the body being a temple isn;t just about the outisde.

I have deep concerns about how little she cares for her body on the inside. She works, even when she is in pain she works, even when a doctor has ordered her to have bed rest she will still get up and go to work.

She is a landscaper, and does loft conversions, house extentions, alot of hard labour and she doesn't take care of herself.

I see her health falling apart and I tell her she needs to stop and care for herself more, but she just carries on as normal until she collapses in exhaustion.

Me, I wouldn't push myself that hard, but I'm guilty of not treating my body like a temple aswell.
 

Zoom

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The body is not just a vehicle for one's brain, or an old Volvo that you should put just enough work into that it keeps running and doesn't fall apart.

It is the way we interact with and experience the world - if you have one that works fully and properly and is healthy, it is fucking awesome. So in terms of taking care one's body... if one has the chance to give it a bit of love, I think they should. It adds a dimension to one's life that seems to be going by the wayside in many ways.

Feeling the use and strength in one's body is a joy, and it's so easy to feel in one's self. Even taking up one activity to do on a regular basis is easy enough, and adds to one's life - dancing, having sex more often, sheisse, just pick one out of a hat for all I care. :happy:

In terms of aesthetics, I'm all about taking care of what one has naturally - skin, body, internal whatsits - instead of layering stuff on top of it.

Hmm: yes, it is a temple, but a Buddhist one - lots of chanting, minimalism and tasty, real foods going on here.
 

cascadeco

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Absolutely not. However, spending ALL of one's time taking care of the body to the point where such behavior is obsessive (consumes one's mind day and night) is not good and probably what is imagined by someone who is "vain". But keeping up general maintenance on the body, making sure the muscles are used daily, eating right, keeping the skin and joints in good condition, and taking time out to let it recharge are all the same kinds of things that are done to ensure machines are working efficiently. And while this machine analogy works on some level, we cannot forget that the mind and body are intertwined. So many people who feel good physically will generally feel good mentally and emotionally.

:yes: Definitely. And I agree with your distinction between caring for ones body in a healthy, balanced way, vs. being obsessive about all of it and it being your prime/sole focus out of life.

Winged said:
It is the way we interact with and experience the world - if you have one that works fully and properly and is healthy, it is fucking awesome. So in terms of taking care one's body... if one has the chance to give it a bit of love, I think they should. It adds a dimension to one's life that seems to be going by the wayside in many ways.

Feeling the use and strength in one's body is a joy, and it's so easy to feel in one's self. Even taking up one activity to do on a regular basis is easy enough, and adds to one's life - dancing, having sex more often, sheisse, just pick one out of a hat for all I care.

In terms of aesthetics, I'm all about taking care of what one has naturally - skin, body, internal whatsits - instead of layering stuff on top of it.

Purely from a health perspective, I think caring for your body - staying active, trying to eat well, etc, is a preventative measure to hopefully alleviate/slow down future health problems.

And circling back to Kyrielle's final point - exercise gets those endorphins going, which improves emotional outlook, and what you eat also can have a large bearing on your energy level and consequent emotional state. And when I feel good about myself, and feel healthy physically, it has a direct bearing on my emotional/mental outlook, and when that is positive, I can then interact with others on a much more positive level as well. From a purely aesthetic basis, yes, I will freely admit my self-image plays a role in my confidence level. So in that sense, yeah, maybe I'm a tad vain. So, with that said, I do try to take care of my skin, and hair, and try to look the best I can look with what I've been given, because when I feel good about how I look, again, I have that bump in confidence and am able to interact with others in a more confident, open way.
 

FDG

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(male here) I agree with you, the stance of your mother is somewhat short-sighted. Of course, if you avoid most activities because they'll be taxing - then that's bad - but pushing yourself without caring will lead to shorter lifespan, thus less time to do things if you take a global perspective.
 

Amargith

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So if you look at your typical day, what would you sacrifice or priotize below taking care of yourself? What would you drop in order to be able to do you daily physical routine, or to do that manicure, facial mask, take a long hot bubblebath, etc etc?
 

Fluffywolf

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Just an INTP's perspective. My body is not my temple, it's more of a rusty conduit for my brain.
 

sunshinebrighter

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There is a difference between taking care of your body and making your body look good.

My old roommate who I believe was an ESFJ talked about how she took pride in taking care of her hair. Every morning she washed her hair, blow dried it and sometimes straighten it.

Washing your hair everyday is generally to most people's type of hair is bad. It strips the natural oils out of your hair which protects it from your everyday environment.

Blow drying your is bad. Heat damages your hair. It's not good for hair to be blasted with a ton of heat in a short period of time. Straightening it is even worse.

She jogged too to take care of her figure. Jogging is possibly the most unnatural exercise ever created. It's great at burning calories and losing weight, the but negative impact on your knees can give you lifetime problems.

Did she do all this for her vanity? Yes. Do you need to be vain to a certain extent to be accepted in the American culture? Yes.

People like this who "takes care of themselves" don't want to be judged and looked down on physical appearance.
 

Gewitter27

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Just an INTP's perspective. My body is not my temple, it's more of a rusty conduit for my brain.

Kind of like this, except this conduit is detestable. I don't like being confined by a body very much, although physical mass IS useful...
 

nanook

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arcade fire - my body is a cage :D

also this: "Deep inside you are ten thousand flowers. Each flower blossoms ten thousand times. Each blossom has ten thousand petals. You might want to see a specialist."

i am afraid of sensations, my body sucks, i mean, my mental representation of it, it's badly mapped/undifferentiated. often there is just numbness and i can't locate where my extensions are, unless i start moving again. i can't locate my organs, and it bugs me. like being blind. how can it be "my" body, if i can't include it in my consciousness? i rarely feel "relaxed" when i lay down, usually i just forget about my body, or it get's painfully "loud" like "white noise" that seems to consume my consciousness.

and it can't even fly!!!

and it's like "omg, i become death" when i do just a little of holotropic breathing, and i sense the alien-ess of those organs on which i depend on. the lungs are so scary

i sedate my body with bad food, i seem to be addicted to the painful symptoms that my various food allergies generate, somewhat like the buzz of coke (carbonic acid) is more entertaining than the subtle steady pain/pressure of numbness or somatized emotions.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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I'm curious for those who disregard their own bodies, do they care for others' bodies? It is often the most basic, primal way of showing a kindness to care about the well being of someone else's body. If that reasoning makes sense, then I don't know how disregarding one's own body is a virtue. It is part of basic human respect for others and self as a person like others.

Some of the underlying philosophy of the carnal nature of the body and the purity of the "spirit" has led to physical disregard in countless ways. It does seem unfortunate because it is a rather important part of self and necessary for life.
 

paperoceans

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Honestly, I think it depends on the person... Although I do obsess about skincare, etc. But I only do so because I do not want to grow up old and regret not taking care of my body. Somethings are irreversible and I only have one life to live, I might as well take care of my one and only body.

I do admit that I am obsessive with my: skincare routine, body hygiene, clothes, hair, makeup, nails, etc. But I only do it because it makes me feel good; I do not do anything because it's expected of me. I like sitting in my sitting room, doing my nails while listening to music. I like washing my face twice a day and slathering olive oil all over my face and an shea butter & EVOO mixture all over my body. The results outweigh the "vanity" of it all (I use EVOO because I do not like putting chemicals on my skin because chemicals tend to make my skin dry, or I break out in hives). I am turning twenty in a week and I am mistaken for a sixteen year old girl and my skin is extremely soft (and all my scars have disappeared). The most I spend on all of this is maybe... $5 a month? I only wear M.A.C., but since it's high quality makeup it tends to last me several months.

Internally, I am pretty healthy. I rarely eat sugary shit and I never if ever drink carbonated drinks or juices. I'm all about water or tea. I eat well and I go for bike rides and I walk everywhere. I recently had a physical and my heart, blood pressure, etc. is superb. So obviously I must be doing something right. I see my grandmother who didn't take good care of herself and she's in her 70's and looks 100. And she wasn't careful about the things that she ate or never exercised and now she is in and out of the hospital all of the time.

Whatever, I guess I am "vain" but I do not see why it is a bad thing. I am concerned with what I put in and on my body and I think a lot of people should. And it bothers me that women are expected to look perfect when men can go walking around with pot bellies, etc. I treat myself well and I expect the same from men.

Why is it so wrong to take care of your body?
 

Charmed Justice

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I guess my body is somewhat of a temple to me.
I really go out of my way to eat the "right" foods most of times. If I feel out of shape, work out. Part of it is vanity, and the other part of it is a fundamental concern for my own health.

I take a daily vitamin, and I use supplements every now and then.
Sometimes I get facials and massages. Every night that I can manage, I get in my jacuzzi tub in the near dark surrounded by candle light, and just relax. Even still, I don't sleep well, and haven't in years. I'm working on it though.
 

FDG

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So if you look at your typical day, what would you sacrifice or priotize below taking care of yourself? What would you drop in order to be able to do you daily physical routine, or to do that manicure, facial mask, take a long hot bubblebath, etc etc?

Work/Study less, Sleep a bit less too. Those are the activities that take up most of my time, so it makes sense to allocate less time to that.
 

Wild horses

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I must admit that I have the same symptoms as your mom but there is a different root cause... I'm not really into taking care of myself... usually through forgetfulness... I don't really wear much make up ... usually because I don't seem to have much time... My clothes are a little mismatched usually cs I never have things that match ready and prepapred at the same time.. my hair doesn't get much work either.. I keep it long so that I can work the whole carefree look HAHAHAHAHA... I don't anticpate having to take more care of myself as I get older though... I am lucky at the moment that I have gotten away with abusing my body the way I have... as I have not really looked after it all with what I have put into it either... oh dear this thread is making me depressed
 

neptunesnet

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I appreciate all input on this topic, though in particular that of ISFJs. Thank you.

What is your stance on how to treat your body? In our society, those that are overly into taking care of their body tend to be considered vain, inane, stupid,... And yet, to push your body relentlessly is definitely not healthy.

My mother, for instance, tends to be against anything that's lotion, day cream, make-up, frilly girly stuff, and so on. She also puts other needs above her own, making her body last in priority at all times UNLESS her body gets in the way of her other priorities. Then she'll get it fixed...but only to be able to get back to those other priorities. She also tends to view those that are too overly into 'indulging themselves' as spineless and drama queens.

On the other hand, those 'drama queens' often take care of their skin, do some sport to maintain their body, take the necessary time off for themselves to relax so they are able to go at it again later on. And they probably have fewer issues with their body as they grow older because of it. They consider it important to take care of themselves and can sometimes be 'selfish' by letting other things slide and prioritizing themselves. But is that really so bad?

Taking care of your health and your body, even your body image seems to be very important in society these days. Considering the fact that we live longer than we used to, our bodies have to 'last' longer than before. Taking better care of it stands to reason. Body image is an important part of being successful in this society and getting things done, so really..is it such a bad thing to do?

For that matter, one of the hypes these days is to take care of yourself, and your body, to find time to relax, and ohm. Or..is this just a lot of showing off, dramaqueening and excuses for indulgance and selfish behavior?

I take a very strange stance on this issue. (Bare with me here :))
I do believe my body is a temple. It's the only body I have to experience life through and I treat it well, so I can enjoy better life. But treating my body well to me doesn't mean over grooming or taking a queer (pardon the pun) fascination with every flaw on my body and making sure it's corrected. Treating my body well means having good hygiene (you know, the stuff your doctor recommends but you don't do out of convenience), eating well (vegetarian), praying at least once a day (religious), studying even out of school to keep my mind stays sharp, etc. Those are more important to me than, say, correcting cellulite or a birthmark.

I think overall the "my body is a temple" excuse is, unfortunately, justification for vanity. There is, however, a difference between being vain and caring about what goes in your body and what harms your health. For example, if someone uses that excuse and they frequently go tanning, then that's fine, but I don't think they understand what "temple" implies.

I tend to neglect my body sometimes when I have a billion other responsibilities to take care of, but when I re-center and shift my priorities I do indulge (juuuust a bit) in my body. I take time out to research, for example, all of my essentials (sunscreen, lip balm, conditioner, cleanser...) and find really good quality products at reasonable prices or find ways to make certain products at home vegan-style. This takes so much less time than using brand name products that you're told to trust through advertising but don't have the great quality they promise. You always end up getting mediocre results with stuff like that. Is that considered vain or smart of me? <shrugs. Don't know, but taking care of my body is a necessity where vanity is definitely prevented. Good health includes emotional, mental, and psychological health as well not just the physical.

I really hope that helped!
 
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