With the beauty pageants creating superfluous hype and columnists arguing and counter-arguing whether they obliterate preset morality, I tried figure out …What is beauty all about? “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Outside appearance fades, what is important is having a beautiful heart, soul and mind. When one is beautiful inside, it radiates from the outside.”…our views echo with such analogous diplomacy.
But do you think people genuinely believe in this? Then why do every matrimonial ad demand beautiful, slim and fair bride even if the groom is immediate descendant of orang-utan! Fanatical hypocrisy, isn’t it? Do they want life partner or model whom they can show off? These people dream of rare tall, thin, and fair specimens of apparent human perfection which represent the whitewashing of Indian norms of beauty. More importantly, they have begun to play an enormously significant role in the lives of the average Indian woman. The intimidating fact is that even parents want their daughters to look like a glamour doll thereby hurting her morale irrevocably. The only faction benefiting are the beauty product companies which promise unfeasible transformations. This “beauty” philosophy hasn’t spared even the corporate world. Good looks facilitate that critical head-start. Why this prejudice?
We have certain stereotypical perception when we judge beautiful people. We think that beautiful individuals are talented, creative and sensitive; that they have an ability to exert a positive influence on others. Those, who have not so pretty, or absolutely unappealing faces, are usually perceived as people who cannot boast of such qualities and traits – just an instant visual contact is enough to conclude so. Unattractive people are usually perceived as someone unhappy, malcontent, presumptuous, stupid and exhausted with their own lives.
Do you disagree with me…Then tell me how many of us check orkut profiles from our friend’s list without heeding much attention to the photo? It’s nothing but human temperament…Our visual senses are formulated to assess people on basis of superficial factors but our neural senses are rationalized to identify beautiful souls…but who cares to identify? Social consequences of human appearances are enormous…can’t help it…Can we?
10 comments:
Beauty transcends the body...you can see it in the eyes of the soul when eye contact is made...
i cant deny your point. I too would first be after a girl based on her looks, honestly.. but you see, thats just the point. Looks will take you to a person, but only a personality will keep you with her. personally, when i've fallen in love, i've found the person to be beautiful even when others didnt think so. The eyes may lead, but the heart will rule.
Great post redemption...so very true...
well i agree to a certain degree that appearance does matter. but its just an intial attraction. outside beauty is just tmeporary. we check out gals just b'coz they r attractive but if they r not gud in interaction she doesnt remain a 'babe' in anyones eyes.
abt the matrimonial column and stuff its true. but no educated and sensible person goes for only luks to marry some1.
well...im of the opinion that every person gets attracted to a pretty or handsome face immediately...its natural.
But...thats where it ends.
If u really love a person, or, as in my case, i can tell u that i had not even seen the person i fell in love with...it started off on the net. after about 6-7 monhs, we met up, and it never even occured to me what she wud look like. and i can say that she is the pes\rson i love even today.
So, basically, looks attract people, but to quote redemption above -"Looks will take you to a person, but only a personality will keep you with her"
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Btw, thnx for the nice comments. Actually, to confess, ur style of writing inspired me to write my latest post the way i have.
looks only matter when ur checking someone out for fun....when u fall in love ur partner always looks beautiful no matter in which state they are in.
Although our society it seems is hardwired to only appreciate ppl who are faired skin although we are a country of brown ppl.
It's not exactly the way it's appearing to be. We believe in what we see, rather in what we don't. And being humans, we have to have an opinion about everything that's around. Beauty does make us judgemental, but it isn't entirely bad. A beautiful lady, a beautiful surrounding, or a beautiful life...everything has a special soothing feeling in its own way, but the limitations that we have assigned to 'beauty' over the years have changed. Even you would agree with me, that your day is brightened by a beautiful person, I mean, a person who's beautiful at heart, beautiful in his/her thoughts, and beautiful by the way he/she does the things...and that's what beauty is all about...
As far as these pageants go, they are only there cuz they have nothing else to do...and even they know that...lolz...
There is no doubt that looks matter especially in the Indian context. Especially when it come to matrimony and the glamour industry. Haven't we all had friends who would view a handsome chap with a not-so-pretty wife with utter disbelief?
But let me give a wonderful example to debate on this. I was put up in Delhi for 8-9 months and not everyone would disagree that it is a city of fair and pretty people. But thats where it ends. The moment they start wagging their tongues, all that first impression goes down the drain. Not trying to generalize a set of people. But, over the long run, those gray cells do matter for a few people. I am sure though that jerks won't agree with this point.
No doubt that inner beauty hold way greater importance but we all know that it takes a while to know someone's inner self and just an instant to judge outer physical appereance...and as being just human we all are attracted to beauty be it inner or outer. So its just that we come to know abt outer beauty first and simply respond to it.
and abt hypocrites out thr, u just can't help it...ignoring is better option..
@tejas: ur last line does indeed tells that u visited Delhi...
my my looks like sombodys angry....
anyways..i wud jus say tht i can never go on the looks of a person...real beauty of a person according to me ..is the person's attitude... it is only after i know tht person myself i come to my conclusions...u cannot judge a book by its cover..its irrational....somthin which makes no sense to me...the real person is the someone whos inside the body...body is jus a projection ,a masquerade for the soul....many may dissapprove of me...but i jus think this way i guess.....
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