{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Dating in Your 20s","title":"Hot Enough to Date Him? Unpacking Beauty Standards and Who You Think You Should Be With","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2032,"description":"In this episode of Dating In Your 20s, hosts Amelia and Lilly unpack how internalized beauty standards influence not only who people find attractive—but who they believe they're allowed to date.\nDrawing from both personal experience and a therapeutic lens, the hosts explore how messages from media, family, and culture shape unconscious dating rules: who is considered \"out of your league,\" what kinds of relationships feel validating, and why some connections feel more like social proof than genuine partnership.\nThey also explore how these standards intersect with body image, race, gender, and desirability politics, and how shame, comparison, and perfectionism often show up in the dating process. Through reflective questions and psychological insight, the episode challenges listeners to consider whether they're dating based on true connection or based on who they think they're supposed to be with.\nThis conversation is for anyone who has ever felt not “hot enough,” settled because of insecurity, or chased validation through dating. It invites listeners to move away from hierarchy-based attraction and toward dating with clarity, confidence, and emotional authenticity.\n.\nIn this episode, we discuss:\nThe roots of beauty standards and how they shape attraction\nThe emotional impact of “leagues,” comparison, and dating from insecurity\nAttachment theory and how early experiences influence who we pursue\nThe difference between connection and validation\nPractical tools for unlearning dating patterns shaped by internalized standards\nDating In Your 20s Anonymous Corner\nWe'd love to hear from you! Check out the anonymous DIY20s Form. It's a safe, judgment-free space to share what’s going on in your love life.\nConnect with the hosts:\nLilly Wehman: Millennium | LinkedIn\nAmelia Abernathy: Millennium | Linkedin\n \nThis podcast is powered by Millennium Counseling Center in Chicago, IL. To learn more visit: millenniumhope.com","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/H44aNgaEKxUG9bCQVkc0fhihSodlCy8psV4mIlCPonE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8yY2Yw/ZGU5MDQ0ZWExOWU0/N2VjZDJlZTFlMmJm/MGM1My5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}