This should not be the case, but life, these days, is a ‘popularity contest’. It seems - especially in today’s society - that if your face doesn’t fit, [or, you do not fit into the criteria that today’s society wants you to fit into] then you will not get on. In all walks of life, people are competing with each other.

In many cases, it is not what you know, but who you know, which will help you progress. Again, this should not be the case, but the unfortunate truth is, it is. Examples of this can be seen every single day of the week.  In employment for example, there have been many cases in which the best man [or indeed woman] certainly did not get the job. No, the job would go to somebody who would not be as qualified and who would be totally unsuitable for that line of work.

Why should that be the case? Because life is all about popularity. If you have money, or you look a certain way, act a certain way, or you have ‘connections’ that can help you push on and move forward, then life is made a lot easier for you. For those who have to struggle all of their lives, to fight for what is their right - even fighting for the basic necessities of life - then society is harsh.

For those who say that there is no popularity contest in life, are kidding themselves. For this is happening around them even as they speak. People are popular or unpopular, no matter their ideals, or policies [if they happen to be politicians]. If the man or woman is popular [if their face fits] then society will always look down on them favourably.

However, if you do not happen to ‘fit the criteria’, then life really can be a struggle. If you are mentally or physically handicapped in some way, you are the ‘wrong color’ gender, ‘wrong’ nationality or race, whatever it is, if you do not fit in with society, then society will chew you up and spit you out.

Yes, life should not be like it is, but life is harsh and is full of people all trying to compete with, and against, each other. We are shaped and formed by a society that demands we look a certain way, maintain a certain weight, act in a way which is ‘acceptable’. How does society do this? This is done through the constant barrage of advertisements, [television, billboards, and the images we see within the media]. 

These images seep into our minds and hypnotise us into trying to fight for what society ‘wants’ us to be {manipulation of the subconscious mind]. We try to look like the people we see in films, sports and television. We try to be stick thin in order to not be obese and we fail because of the pressure.  Young boys are given toy guns to play with, to indoctrinate them into fighting in wars as they grow older. Young girls are given dolls, prams and such like to indoctrinate them into becoming ‘good mothers and wives’.

[In fact we are all trying to become clones of each other].

We want to be that slim, blond model, looking down from the billboards, with sparkling white teeth and flowing hair. We want to be the one whose ‘face fits’, the one who has money [money equals power and so therefore, ‘respect]. We want to be employed in our jobs because we have experience - and maybe the qualifications [not because we know our fathers or mothers who have friends who can get us work, simply because of who we are, and not what we can do - but through our own skill and intelligence]. Life is all about being popular and, it is savage out there.

No matter where we may look, there are mini popularity contests being played out everywhere, in the media, in sports, in education, housing, politics, and within society in general. While there are human beings in this world, it will always be the case that this is so. Will society change for the better, and give everyone an equal chance to succeed? That remains to be seen, but do not hold your breath anytime soon.