How to Live Up to and Push Back Against Your Disadvantages

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Elise Hu is the host of TED Talks Daily and author of a book called Flawless. She talks about growing up in suburban St. Louis, where she felt ashamed of her differences. Her three daughters are now living in Southern California; their classes look like mini UNs. They see Korean beauty as something that everybody wants to aspire to - even those blonde girls who I was so desperate to be more like when I was little.

Humans have always been captivated by beauty, and for almost as long, we’ve been marketed products and new technologies to help us achieve certain beauty standards. Elise Hu is a journalist and the author of “Flawless: Lessons in looks and culture from the K-beauty industry.” In this episode, she shares the fascinating insights she’s learned from years of studying the $10 billion K-beauty industry and the cutting-edge skincare, niche makeup products, and technology that promise to optimize our appearance. Elise and Chris talk about the real stakes of placing a premium on our looks, why a more inclusive version of “beauty” is worth pursuing, and how we can both enjoy and push back against the very human desire to feel beautiful. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts