I wish I'd allowed my picture to be taken when I was in my teens and twenties. Like many young people, I thought of myself as ugly and fat. I was, in fact, underweight, and pretty hot. Damn, and now I wish now there was more photographic evidence. Oh, and I grew up in a country where people are downright paranoid about having their picture taken in public, thanks to generations of stasi-spying on the populace. Well, things have changed, and I am a different person now.

While quite a few young people seem to go to the opposite extreme and have become quite addicted to gaining attention and taking revealing selfies, or deliberately presenting themselves as repulsive, they all have in common that they're painfully subjective about their own image.

The truth is, almost everybody looks great, especially when they are young. That's the way mammals are, right out of the box. Thank evolution for that. Our new kitten is the cutest creature on this planet right now.

The whole point of mammalian youth is to be as beautiful and worthy of loving, nurturing, and protection as possible. So much for objectivity.

Being young, however, feels horribly subjective. If nobody looks at you with loving attention, it's impossible to find beauty in a mirror.

But this won't last forever. If you are alone right now, don't assume this is the way it's meant to be, or this is how it'll always be.

20 years from now, you will regret having been so wrapped up in yourself. You will regret your lack of imagination. I no longer try to hide, or to take myself out of the picture. I love someone; he wants to know what my life was like before he became part of it.

Do make space for someone else in you life. Let me help. Here's my offer to the world, including you, little wallflower: Let me take your picture. If you think you are ugly, let me prove you wrong. There are people out there who think mine is the best picture ever taken of them.

So, can I take your picture, please?