According to Zendaya, There's "No Such Thing as Ugly"

Updated on Feb 6, 2016 at 6:00 AM

Zendaya is the cover star of the Spring issue of New You Magazine, and she's offering fresh advice, comfort, and more. No topic is off-limits, from her thoughts on photoshopping, her own biggest fears, and where she sees herself a decade from now. Of course, the budding star has a long history of dealing with haters and inspiring us to give fewer f*cks — she's defended her parents against superficiality, sought a broader definition of beauty, and constantly promoted self-love in whatever way she can. Keep reading for her latest batch of quotes.

On being against photoshopping: "There is no such thing as ugly. That’s a word that doesn’t really enter my vocabulary. If there’s any definition to being perfect, you’re perfect at being yourself. No other person can be you 100 percent; no one has your fingerprint; no one has your DNA."
On what it means to be "cool" in the modern age: "I want to promote to young people that it’s okay to be a good citizen. It’s okay to learn. It’s cool to be knowledgeable, to know what’s going on in your country and your world. To form opinions and to talk about it, have discussions and be respectful. I’m trying to make that the new cool."
On paying bullies no mind: "I was made fun of, but it didn’t bother me very much because I was very comfortable in who I was. I was taught as a young child by my parents and family to love myself. And it’s the same today — there are certain things that don’t bother me. I just focus on being a good person."
On her biggest fears: "Everyone is scared of something . . . I’m a perfectionist and I am afraid of not being perfect; of things failing or not doing as well as I think I should. That’s a constant battle that I have with myself because I hold myself to really high standards and I want to be so good. Sometimes I’m like, dude, you’re only 19! Relax, stop overdoing it, and just breathe for a second. You’re doing really good, you’re on a roll here, stop stressing yourself out!"
On where she wants to be in 10 years: "I see myself doing what I love to do and doing great stuff for humanity. When I say doing what I love to do, if I decide in five years that I don’t want to sing, dance, or act another day in my life — and that it doesn't make me happy anymore — I’m going to do something else. Maybe I’ll go to school for something else and live my life that way. I just want to be happy."
On being honest with parents: "That’s how you gain their trust, that’s how you get more responsibility, that’s how they will be able to trust you. My parents never have to question. Even before I became an adult, they would never question or worry because I have already proved to them a million times over that I’m a good kid. If something ever happened, I would come to them first. Just be honest with your parents; it’s so much easier."
On how she stays grounded: "I have parents and family who will never allow me not to be grounded. If I thought for a second that I could possibly lift off the ground, I have a thousand people who will grab my ankles."