Such "imaginary ugliness" is not at all uncommon. A
recent survey of college co-eds showed that 90 per cent
were dissatisfied in some way with their appearance. If
the words "normal" or "average" mean anything at all, it
is obvious that 90 per cent of our population cannot be
"abnormal" or "different" or "defective" in appearance.

Yet, similar surveys have shown that approximately the
same percentage of our general population find some reason
to be ashamed of their body-image.
These people react just as if they suffered an actual disfigurement.
They feel the same shame. They develop the
same fears and anxieties. Their capacity to really "live"
fully is blocked and choked by the same sort of psychologic
roadblocks. Their "scars," though mental and emotional
rather than physical, are just as debilitating.