We all know her as Hermione Granger from the beloved Harry Potter series. She was the smart know-it-all turned best friend who saved Harry Potter himself a time or two. If we are being honest, Harry and Ron would not have gotten very far without her. But Emma Watson is more than the character that she played for ten years. Growing up in the spotlight is no easy task, yet she managed to do it and go above and beyond in all areas of her life.
1. "Girls should never be afraid to be smart."
Education is important to her. She made headlines when she graduated from Brown in 2014. Watson believes that people, especially young girls, she take education seriously. Not everyone has the privilege to receive an education, so those of us that do should take advantage of it. Often times society tells girls that they are lesser than their male counterparts or it is implied that they may not be as smart. Watson wants to change that.
2. "I'm not rebellious, but I'm very strong-willed. I know what I believe in and I know what I think is right."
Why are women told to be fragile? Why are we often looked at as inferior? Emma Watson saw these issues and decided to speak out against them. Another well known fact about her is that she is a Feminist. While some of us may not like to go to the extreme of calling ourselves that, what woman cannot say she is all for girl power!?
3. "Feeling beautiful has nothing to do with what you look like, I promise."
Beauty. It is such a hot topic in our society today, especially where women are concerned. We are constantly bombarded with ads telling us that if we wear this we will look better or if we apply this makeup it will correct all of our "imperfections." It is hard to believe in inner beauty when society tells us something totally different. Thankfully, even in this crazy world, there are still voices reminding us that beauty is a feeling. It has nothing to do with appearance. If you feel beautiful... you are beautiful! Beauty is not defined by your size, skin color, how you hair is styled, what makeup you put on, or the clothes you wear. Emma Watson has repeatedly reminded young girls everywhere that they are beautiful no matter what.
4. "Don't feel stupid if you don't like what everyone else pretends to love."
No one wants to be an outsider. We all just want to fit in and stay in our comfort zones. But truly incredible things happen when we step outside our comfort zones. It is okay to not be obsessed with a song everyone loves or to not wear the latest fashion trend that everyone else is. If it's not you then that is perfectly okay. That is part of what sets you apart from everyone and makes you unique.
Sometimes we are so focused on what society wants us to be that it is hard to look at ourselves as individuals. Emma Watson grew up in the spotlight with even more directed at her than most of us. She still managed to figure out who she is and what she believes in without others interfering. Outside of the realm of Harry Potter, people know her as a feminist and ambassador for the United Nations. She has given several speeches on gender equality and it can be hard for people to listen to her because they don't want to. But she is just another person fighting for what she believes in, and that in itself is pretty incredible.
