Q: I am a 24 years old boy. I have an inferiority complex about my dark complexion. I have a dark complexion that makes me insecure when I meet fair people. I envy them since only fair people can look dashing. Can dark people too look sexy? Inspite of having a dark complexion, can I look dashing? I am anxious about my marriage too.

A:This is the time for various insecurities and they can be for numerous reasons. Now you are talking about some perpetuated myths and maybe at some stage also your own beliefs, which really may not have a standing in today's meritocracy driven world. Well, the cause and effect that you have presented does not really work that way. Only fair or white people can look sexy or dashing? So, Indians are not sexy or dashing! Girls marry people who are sexy and dashing, which dark people cannot be – so, girls do not marry dark boys? I think you just need to look around and know that this is not the case. This just represents your conflicts with growing age and the need to develop yourself in some or the other direction. Just to give you a few examples – I am sure you would think Bipasha Basu, Rekha, Naomi Campbell, are not famous dashing and charismatic people. If so, let us begin by correcting ourselves that what matters most in life is not your height, weight, colour etc but really your attitude, discipline, goal, perseverance, hard work and the will to succeed. You would do well by undertaking regular counseling sessions.