The cover article of the latest edition of Time features an interesting topic. The title itself is intriguing: “Nip. Tuck. Or Else. Why you’ll be getting cosmetic procedures even if you really don’t want to.”
Writer Joel Stein presents the changes in how society looks at cosmetic augmentation procedures. He comments that, in the past, undergoing such procedures such as cosmetic surgery was very much a private affair, shielding self from public shame. But, “not having work done is now the new shame.” He then lists some possible factors that have caused the shift—better techniques that produce better results, more non-surgical and less invasive procedures, lower costs, the effects of social media that puts “everyone always on the red carpet.” But it was the final factor in his list that caught my attention: “partly because our culture has become so much more narcissistic that we now more regularly celebrate doing something for ourselves as if it’s a moral imperative.”
It seems to me that recent events and developments suggest that this mindset goes beyond cosmetic augmentation. The desire for self-gratification has become so ingrained in our psyche that indeed it has become for us a “moral imperative.” Self–gratification has become so much of an idol that not only do we pursue it with great passion, but we demand that others affirm it too. And what we “do for ourselves” is no longer limited to a change in appearance to fit our idea of what looks better, but can touch upon everything else, such as lifestyle preferences. And the standard is “self”—what I want, how I want it, when I want it.
I am reminded of the description given of the people of Israel at a time considered to be one of its dark moments in its history: “all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 17.6 NLT). Yet scripture instructs and warns us: “Do not love the world or the things that belong to the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For everything that belongs to the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s lifestyle—is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does God’s will remains forever” (1 John 2.15–17 HCSB).
Our “moral imperative” should not and cannot be built on our own desires and preferences. It will only lead to moral chaos and confusion. “But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6.11 NET).
—Keith Y. Jainga