In a world with defined beauty standards, it takes courage to embrace one’s uniqueness fully. Rada, a stunning model, exemplifies this courage as she proudly defends the distinctive patch of hair that grows from her forehead against online trolls and critics.
She went viral for her unique look
At just 18 years old, model Rada Prelevic, also known as Rada Viic on Instagram and TikTok, has captured the attention of social media users worldwide due to a distinctive feature: long strands of hair that gracefully hang from her forehead. Despite the fascination for her unique trait, Rada often finds herself subjected to harsh criticism and hurtful comments online. Trolls label her appearance as «bizarre» and suggest that she remove the locks.
In a candid video shared with her followers, she courageously affirmed that she really loves her hair and she won’t shave it. She also questions herself about why her unique hair bothers so many people.
She was born with it.
The Serbian-born model, now based in Oslo, Norway, where she has been living since the age of 5, shed light on the origins of her distinctive feature. Reflecting on her unusual trait, Rada explained that she was born with it. And there’s no explanation as to why the hair is placed on her forehead and has grown so much. She only knows that the patch is a birthmark.
The hate doesn’t bother her.
Rada’s confidence in her appearance is not only admirable but also inspiring. Despite the online hate, she remains firm in her conviction that her forehead birthmark is a beautiful and integral part of her identity. Her refusal to conform to societal pressures sends a powerful message of empowerment and self-acceptance to her followers and beyond.
The amount of support from Rada’s followers serves as a reminder that kindness and acceptance far exceed negativity. Hundreds of supportive messages flooded the comments section of her post, applauding her confidence and praising her unique beauty.
Her hair helps her modeling career.
For Rada, the unique lock of hair coming from her forehead has evolved into a unique feature, one that she proudly embraces as her personal «trademark» within the fashion industry. She notices that fashion magazines and photographers love her appearance, making her even prouder of the way she looks.
In matters of love and relationships, Rada’s self-assurance extends to her personal life as well. She says that she would never compromise her authenticity for the sake of romantic companionship. She firmly states that she would never be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t appreciate her for who she is.
Rada’s resolute self-confidence and refusal to conform to societal standards of beauty serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of embracing one’s individuality. In the face of relentless criticism and online hate, she remains firm in her self-acceptance, inspiring countless others to celebrate their unique traits and differences without fear or hesitation.
Preview photo credit rada.viic / TikTok, rada.viic / Instagram
Matt Heath: My parting message: Enjoy things while they are around
A lot of big, tragic and important things have happened to this wonderful country of ours since April 2014. None of which I have covered. I was too busy writing about hungover parenting, ancient philosophy and my dog Colin.
Out of the 536 columns I have written, 27 were about that guy. Far too few. He is such a good boy, he deserves an article a week.
Today is the end of an era for me, and whenever these final events pop up in our lives, we can’t help but think about the ultimate end.
Everything we do, we will one day do for the last time. That’s why you have to enjoy things while they are around. It’s not just big events like leaving a job, house or loved one either. Whatever moment you happen to be in now, you will never get it back, and you don’t know how many more you have.
Everything we do in life, from eating pizza to spending time with the people we love, to driving, writing, drinking or breathing, we will one day experience for the final time. It might happen tomorrow. This can be either a depressing or an inspiring thought, depending on how you look at it.
A few years back in this column, I interviewed professor of philosophy William B Irvine, of Wright State University, Ohio, on this very topic. He put it this way on a Zoom call: “Recognition of the impermanence of everything in life can invest the things we do with a significance and intensity that would otherwise be absent. The only way we can be truly alive is if we make it our business periodically to entertain thoughts of the end.”
Today’s column is very meaningful to me because it is my last. Like the last night with a lover before she goes overseas. And just like a lover, there have been some half-arsed efforts put in from me over the years. Last week, for example, I spent 750 words moaning about how bad my cricket team is. But the truth is that any of my columns could have been the final. If I had reminded myself every week for the past 10 years that the end is inevitable, I may have been more grateful for having a column and appreciated writing them all as much as I am this one.
While everything we do could have more meaning with a focus on finitude, some things are inherently more worthwhile than others. There is no doubt my column “The pros and cons of wearing Speedos” from November 2022 was less meaningful than most things in this world. That was a waste of everyone’s time. So, if we only have so much time, how do we pick the best things to do?
Well, Oliver Burkeman, the author of Four Thousand Weeks – Time Management For Mortals, suggested this to me in a 2022 column: “Ask yourself, does this choice enlarge me? You usually know on some unspoken level if it does. That’s a good way to distinguish between options.”
With that in mind, I don’t feel great about my 2018 article on “New Zealand’s best hole”. That didn’t enlarge anyone.
There will be people reading this column right now who have loved my writing in the Herald and are sad to see it end. Others will have hated it and are glad to see me go. Many won’t have any opinion at all. But for those in the first camp, I have good news. I have a book coming out on May 28 called A Life Less Punishing – 13 Ways To Love The Life You Got (Allen and Unwin Book Publishers). It’s a deep dive into the history, philosophy and science of not wasting our time lost in anger, loneliness, humiliation, stress, fear, boredom and all the other ways we find to not enjoy perfectly good lives. It’s available for pre-order right now (google it if you’re interested).
A Life Less Punishing took me two years to write and is equivalent in words to 100 of these columns. Which would be a complete nightmare for those in the hate camp, but as I say, great news for those who want more.
Anyway, thanks to the Herald for having me, thanks to the lovely people who make an effort to say nice things to me about my column nearly every day and thanks to the universe for every single second we get.
Bless!
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