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So What is Beauty, Really?

28 April 2009 7 Comments

Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” I like that thought. In the last several decades, physical beauty has been defined in our society by cookie-cutter images to which many women and a lot of men aspire. Weight must be slim-to-thin and muscles must be defined. A nose must be just so and wrinkles must be hidden, lifted off the face so that traces of paths taken and the shadows created by them are lost. All in the name of pleasing whom?

I was a bit dis-heartened to learn that Susan Boyle, who captured our hearts with her muzzy hair and gifted vocals, has had her eyebrows waxed, has a new hair style and no more frumpy clothes. I don’t know about you, but I think one of the reasons we were all so captivated by her was that we like to cheer for the underdog. We wanted her to remain untouched by the glam factor and show the world the purity of beauty. Her quick smile, her vamping hip-swish and total confidence in her ability to sing her heart out was absolutely refreshing. As Gibran wrote, her ‘beauty was a light in the heart.’ How sweet if that were to remain unfettered.

Beyond physical appearances, there are numerous instances of beauty to behold. Finding good art is a thrill for me. The creative energy and the subtle use of lines, colors and forms are inspiring, like whispers from God. There is a blog listed on this site which I find compelling. Visit Beltran Studios and let the art speak to you. It is almost a daily fix for me.

Beauty is also seeing a couple who has been together for years, who can finish each other’s sentences while still holding hands, and blending into a unique flavor of One. Beauty is a child reaching for the safety and assurance of your hand. Beauty is nature and the way it nutures our existence. Beauty is reaching out to help someone when your own soul is almost depleted.

Perhaps Helen Keller said it best. “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart.”

7 Comments »

Khris said:

I agree whole heartedly with this post! The beauty within a person is far more valuable than that of outward appearance. And beauty can be found in all of creation, if we take the time to look. I find that this is more so as I grow older. Perhaps I am just finally taking the time to look for it. I know that I appreciate it more now than I ever did before.

# 28 April 2009 at 12:38 pm

Drama Queen said:

Good blog entry. I am with you all the way on this one. Susan Boyle clearly proved that our opinions are guided by what we see at first glance. This is human nature but we all wind up seeing something different. The best lookiing people can surprise us with their not so beautiful personality faults.

# 28 April 2009 at 12:57 pm

admin (author) said:

Hi Khris,
Your point is so well taken. There is something wonderful about becoming mature and appreciating far more than just the superficial aspects of life. If we are open to it, it is an enriching experience and makes this life-passage one in which we finally savor depth and quality. So good to hear a male perspective on this….

# 28 April 2009 at 1:00 pm

admin (author) said:

Hi Drama Queen,
I think we are all drawn to beauty and some people who are physically beautiful are also people of depth and good character as well. Sometimes it is not so. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were so drawn to people simply because of their character? I really believe that in the core of society, something is aching for reality rather than the superfluous. Maybe that is why Susan Boyle was such a big hit. No matter what happens with her career, she has given us a brief lesson about our own character.

# 28 April 2009 at 1:10 pm

Dorothy L said:

Hello & good day.
Well you know that I am not going to pass this awesome collection of thoughts up.
You read my mind and then some.

I do have to say in defense of women that fall victim to the medias idea of what perfection is, that they themselves are filling a void. They are in need of some form of acceptance due to their own self non-acceptance.

So many of us are guilty of depending on what others think of how we look. We probably care more about that then what they think about how we act or react.

How many wives ask hubbies how they look before going out or if they look fat in their pants…definite loaded questions for most men?
Why do we feel the need for another opinion…why is our own opinion not good enough for us?
This is a very clear sign of a weakness in accepting who we are. It is also another sign that we are looking through negative lenses as opposed to positive ones.

When we are ill….it is vital to get second even third opinions because we do not nor can we control illness without opinions and help. However we are in control of how we accept who we are and what we look like.

I have long since depended on another persons opinion about who I am or how I look. I will not say that the temptation is not there every now and then…but I feel good in the fact that I do not have to have another opinion to feel accepted.
This type of thinking is vital in everything we do. Writers should not write for the readers…if they do they are immediately setting themselves up for disappointment when their books do not sell or their articles get few to no comments ect.

I have become long winded as this is a very passionate subject for me.

The marketeers definitely found a gold mine in us, haven’t they.
They knew exactly where to target their bate and all they do now is reel us in.

Thank you for a reality check in self-acceptance!

~D~

# 28 April 2009 at 2:24 pm

admin (author) said:

Dear D,
I truly appreciate your input on this. You have been front and center in helping women achieve self-acceptance, a difficult task in this media-driven society.

It is easier for women to write, I think, than it is to feel self-confident in public. It is almost like theater. There you are play-acting with a script. Here no one can see you, unless of course you have a web cam, so the physical part of you does not get in the way of what you are saying.

How very sad that we are so given to how others perceive us. Is that across the board? All I know is that I feel pain for young girls growing up in these times. With sexting and bullying, it is a wonder any of them survive. And we question why the suicide rate among our youth has risen. It’s a pox on us all.

# 28 April 2009 at 2:53 pm