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如今，社会的审美标准让各年龄段的女性面临前所未有的压力。然而，女人的价值就体现在容貌和吃穿打扮上吗?不妨从和小女孩儿的谈话开始改变这一切吧。 I went to a dinner party at a friend’s home last weekend, and met her five-year-old daughter for the first time. Little Maya was all curly brown hair, dark eyes, and adorable in her shiny pink nightgown.[1] I wanted to squeal[2], “Maya, you’re so cute! Look at you! Turn around and model that pretty ruffled gown, you gorgeous thing!”[3] But I didn’t. I squelched[4] myself. As I always bite my tongue when I meet little girls, restraining myself from my first impulse,[5] which is to tell them how darn cute/ pretty/ beautiful/ well-dressed they are. What’s wrong with that? It’s our culture’s standard talking-to-little-girls icebreaker[6], isn’t it? And why not give them a sincere compliment to boost their self-esteem?[7] Because they are so darling I just want to burst when I meet them, honestly.[8] Hold that thought for just a moment. News reported that nearly half of all three- to six-year-old girls worry about being fat. 15 to 18 percent of girls under 12 now wear mascara, eyeliner and lipstick regularly;[9] eating disorders are up and self-esteem is down. Even bright, successful college women say they’d rather be hot[10] than smart. A Miami mom just died from cosmetic surgery,[11] leaving behind two teenagers. This keeps happening, and it breaks my heart. | 
