Beauty

Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder – whether external or internal. Nothing could be truer than this.

We sort and label stuff as per our perspectives, and store it in designated mental shelves. Changing the classification is not easy. It takes something drastic to happen, to alter a comfort zone.

To me, internal beauty may be about being myself, being independent and in control of my life. A control freak sees it as a threat to his existence, and frets on his inability to influence or control me. I’m certainly not beautiful in that person’s eyes – internally or externally.

Pets and children have no cultural concepts of beauty. They love a person who loves them. Touch, smell, voice, care and tenderness all count – but not the color of skin or litheness of figure. Do they see your soul? Souls are invisible and intangible – they see expressions of your thoughts, emotions or whatever we call personality.

The external becomes a medium to project the internal, and I don’t see a conflict here.

The conflict starts when the external is manipulated to project a false image, and influence perspectives to suit selfish interests. Battles start here, and escalate to war. Hurt begins here, and spirals down to depression or breakdowns. Disappointment begins here, and degenerates into mistrust and hatred.

I wish the world was transparent … but no, that would make some people ashamed of their ugliness. What is a right to privacy? Barriers created by those who wish to conceal their less than noble instincts? It could be a measure of self-defence adopted by the vulnerable. It could be a matter of unequal distribution. I give X more than Y, but don’t want Y or the rest of the world to know about it. It is the right to exclusivity.

Hence, the game and show will go on, unchecked, unabated…..