The gym — the church of self-hatred
For many people who struggle with their body image, the gym does not function as a place of health but as an arena of comparison and self-criticism — systematically reinforcing the feeling of not being enough.
What Philippe observes
Walk into any gym. You will see people in carefully chosen clothes that display and compete. Men watching themselves in the mirror between sets, assessing. Then someone walks in — more muscular, more lean. Watch what happens to the faces. The eyes go down. The next set begins with more fury and less joy.