If your sense of self, aka your self-esteem, were healthy, you wouldn't feel this way. I know... I've BTDT.

Fortunately, my self-esteem is finally beginning to heal (I'm 61 now), and I am coming into my own. It took a long time - a terribly long time - and it took a great deal of hard work - but it was worth the effort.

I tell you this so that you know that you can repair/heal your self-esteem so that the day will come when you are happy with, and appreciate, who you are, just as you are. When that time arrives, you will no longer compare yourself to anyone else... nor will what others say - no matter how negative - affect your view of yourself.

You have an advantage over me. You are beginning the process of examining your self-esteem so much sooner than I did. (When I was your age, I didn't pose the questions you did. I just accepted it as fact that I didn't measure up.)

It will still take a good amount of time and effort, but I have no doubts that you will have restored your self-esteem to perfect health before you hit your mid-twenties.

It has taken a long time for me to learn that I am unique and no one else is just like me so how can I compare myself to anyone else. We each have our own gifts and talents that only we pocess and instead of comparing ourselves to others we should be discovering what these gifts are and working towards developing them. I remember once a speaker at a conference saying that everyone no matter how beautiful have areas they see as faults. This woman was absolutely beautiful and she said even she felt that way.

THANKS4 THE REPLIES IT MEANS ALOT

YEA, ND IT SUCKS DAT I CAN'T LOOK LIKE DAT. BUT THEN I GOTTA REMIND MYSELF THAT THOSE ARE JUST PICS THAT CAN BE EDITED BY A COMPUTER. NOT ALL THE PICS THAT YOU SEE ARE 100% THEM, IT HAS SOME RETOUCHING TO IT. SO I FEEL A LIL BIT BETTER. THEN I THINK BOUT HOW MUCH BETTER I LOOK THEN THEM. I MEAN, MUST OF THEM DON'T EVEN HAVE CURVES,LOL. PLUS MOST OF THEM LOOK LIKE THEY HAVEN'T EATEN FOR YEARS, ND I CAN'T DO DAT CUZ I LOVE TO EAT,LOL. SO IN THE END, I JUST LEARN TO LOVE MYSELF, FOR WHO I AM ND FOR WAT I LOOK LIKE. HOPE I HELPED.

Yea, I have when I am with my hubby and I see an attractive woman I compare myself. With thoughts of does he think she is more beautiful than me etc. Sad really

Everyone feels that way time and time again. Don't let a magazine get you down computerized photo shop!!

yeah, when I see or hear other people laughing or talking, smiling in public.....then I feel like I'm less than them because they can DO that!!

I really like getting older..I feel that I am better now, than when I was in my 20's. Let's don't compare ourselves to fake images in some magazine..When a woman is young, and she is beautiful, that's nature. But, when a woman is older, and she is beautiful, she made herself that way.