Today, everyone still has their own definition of beauty. A mother may find her child with mud streaked across his/her face beautiful, whereas we might just see a murky, muddy mess! I might look at a book, seeing the wisdom and knowledge held within it beautiful, whereas someone else might look at it and think ‘Ugh, a book!’
Despite the differences in people’s opinion, it is important to explore these ideas to get a firm grip on what beauty COULD be. Is it all appearance? Is it perfection? Is it what WE were told? OR Is it something completely different?
In our lives we come across people who may be quite attractive, yet something about their character has a repelling effect on us. The reverse could be said about people who aren't so good looking, yet they possess incredible personalities that draw us towards them.
An article written by a plastic surgeon, Dr Robert Tonambe, presents an interesting conclusion about how our minds judge beauty. The article, titled "What makes a person Ugly?" focuses on certain positive traits that serve to enhance and determine how we perceive physical beauty. Some characteristics that are mentioned are self-confidence, cheerfulness and optimism.
It was proven that when it came to judging between physical beauty and personality, our minds incline towards appreciating people who possess positive personality traits.
Unfortunately though, standards of beauty have morphed over time. Historically, paintings show a wide range of different standards of beauty, yet humans who are young, with smooth skin and well proportioned bodies are still traditionally considered to be the most beautiful.
How much money one may earn can also be influenced by their physical beauty. A study found that people low in physical attractiveness earn 5 to 10 percent less than ordinary people, who in turn, earn 3 to 8 percent less than people who are considered to be good looking. Did you Know: Discrimination against others based on their appearance actually has a name, it is called Lookism.
What about a religious perspective? How does Islam view human beauty? Is physical attractiveness looked upon as a positive trait? Needless to say, physical beauty is indeed a blessing. But according to Islamic teachings, beauty is just like any other materialistic and perishable trait, such as wealth, rank and occupation. Physical beauty by itself has little worth and is given no significance in Islam if not accompanied with inner beauty, such as piety and good moral traits. Real beauty is what we carry with us in our journey to the hereafter.
I would like to conclude with a quote by a famous psychiatrist and pioneer, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. Her words, in my opinion, should represent how we all should see beauty, not physically, but rather inwardly, because that is what really shows through. She said …
"the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness and a deep, loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."
FATHIMA MOOLLA
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