We Have To Stop Shaming Selfies.

Almost everyone has taken one, and almost everyone has heard or seen backlash about them, but let's take a moment here to put our jealous rage on hold and appreciate what the selfie can do.

Selfies can be inspirational

From a 30lb weightloss, to a 14 year battle with cancer. Selfies can bring average people with remarkable stories into our lives and show us that we can and will get through whatever we need to get through.

They are great for figuring out what to wear/buy

Sure, you could walk into a store and see a standard sized model in a standard outfit that (s)he hasn't washed once or worn in any practical way, or you can hop on instagram for some great ideas on how your body type will look in different outfits, and what items of clothing look like in the real world.

They're also great for style inspiration

Especially for those of us who grew up in small towns and were generally uninspired by the fashion examples we had access to.

They can help us find confidence

We can almost all agree that there are very few of us who can relate to the supermodels in every ad we see. Having people we identify with (be it by size, shape, age, race, subculture, etc...), showing us that it's no big deal to feel good about yourself no matter what is expected of you, is empowering. This is especially true if those particular identifiers are things about you that people have negatively commented on.

They can help us be confident

Taking a picture of yourself when you're happy about the way you look can be so good for your self esteem. Believing that you deserve to be displayed just as much as anyone else is a tremendous thing. We now get to destroy the notion that there are only a select few that are beautiful enough to put their faces/bodies on display...And I for one am glad because there are so many beautiful people in the world!

Also, people like myself spent so many years being awkward and uncomfortable with ourselves that when we finally feel like we look the way we've always wanted to, we put it out there.

They can instill us with normal expectations

Growing up with the idea that you either have to strive to be what everyone expects, or the idea that you'll never be able to achieve that, is so damaging. Seeing a 23 year old celebrity looking 100% flawless every day gives us such a horribly high goal to try to achieve. People who take selfies in any condition can help us see that we don't have to look perfect all the time, but we're still beautiful regardless. Everyone has a bad hair day, or whatever else can make you want to put on a robe and stay inside all day. When a celebrity does, it's a headline. When an average person does, it's just another day.

And really because there's no reason to hate them

If you know someone who takes a lot of them, and that annoys you, then that's something you need to address within yourself. Are you jealous that they have confidence? Do you hate them because they remind you of someone you don't like? If someone is just having fun, or being confident, or even seeking attention. Why does it matter to you? Look away, block that person from your social media, or try to work on whatever it is that makes you such a grump.