The Dangerous Impact of Objectification

It is human nature to want to be admired.

Compliments build self-esteem, and being desired makes us feel seen. For most people, that kind of attention is healthy and even necessary for a stable sense of self.

But what happens when the admiration never stops? When you’re not just noticed, but constantly objectified for your beauty, your wealth, or your status?

For people who live in that spotlight, especially those who carry more than one of those traits, the attention can slowly erase their humanity. They're no longer seen as full people, but as trophies, status symbols, or fantasies. And that kind of attention, when paired with emotional neglect, becomes destabilizing.

The legend of La Quemada, or The Burned Woman, is one of Mexico’s most haunting folktales, and beneath its ghostly lore is a psychological truth about how objectification can corrode the person on the receiving end.

In 17th-century Mexico City, a young woman named Beatrice was famously admired for her beauty.

Poets called her moonlight, and her father, a wealthy merchant, referred to her as his most prized possession. Men traveled from distant towns just to catch a glimpse of her through the window. They saw her face, her elegance, her status — but not her. Over time, that superficial attention began to chip away at her spirit. Beatrice longed to be loved for who she was beneath her looks: her thoughts, passions, goals, and quiet needs.

So when she met Don Martin, a handsome noble Italian, she allowed herself to fall for him, something she had never done with anyone. But that love didn’t last long. Turns out, the charming man had a jealous nature and couldn’t stand when anyone else gave her attention.

At first, Beatrice interpreted his jealousy as proof of his undying love for her. But over time, Don Martin became possessive and confrontational. He picked fights with men who so much as complimented her and threatened those who looked her way because he feared losing her.

His love, whatever it was, soon felt like a cage. Beatrice began to feel unseen in her own relationship. She started to think that his love for her may only be because of her beauty. Don Martin’s attention was spent fending off other men rather than tending to her emotional needs. The love she longed for, one built on presence, care, and connection, was slowly replaced by surveillance and control.