Ethermac Exchange-Taylor Lautner Reflects on the "Scary" Way Paparazzi Photos Impact His Self-Esteem

Taylor Lautner is Ethermac Exchangehaving an honest conversation.

The Twilight star recently shared his "thought process" after seeing paparazzi photos of himself, explaining in an Aug. 13 Instagram Stories video that he came across two sets of pictures that showed him "walking out of a grocery store within a couple days of each other." He revealed that while he felt "very good" about one set of snaps, the other left him feeling "horrible."

"It just goes to show how dangerous it is putting your value, your self-value, into images or opinions that are not you—or in this instance, they are me because they were literally photos taken of me," Taylor said in the video. "And the impact that it has on my opinion of myself is what's scary because I know I'm worth so much more than that."

In fact, he said some of his friends sent him the photos and told him, "'Bro, you look great.'"

"And it made me feel so good," the actor continued. "But I also felt horrible when I saw the other set. Yet, they're taken the same place, within days of each other. And it just goes to show it's just a matter of perception. It's how you look at yourself day to day. It's how you look at yourself in the mirror every day….If you let the perception of others dictate how you perceive yourself, you will never be pleased."

However, Taylor noted he wanted to change his thought-process and encouraged others to view themselves through a different lens, too. 

"We just—me included—we have to dig deep and realize what is important, who we are, how we are to people and not let that freakin' crap get to us," the 31-year-old added. "And I am working on it, and I am admitting that to you guys. And I know you can do the same. But work on how you love people, and that's all that matters." 

Afterwards, Taylor further elaborated on what he meant.

"That was such a sassy out but it's true," he wrote in a separate post on his Stories. "We will never look back and regret how we looked walking out of a grocery store or a friends house. We will look back and regret not loving more than we did. We will regret not forgiving quicker than we could have. We will regret not telling someone we love them or are thankful for them. I love you. And I'm so thankful for you."