How to be truly beautiful.

Many of you must have come across the news items featuring the bearded Sikh girl who has been applauded for her courage, for refusing to conform to what is considered beauty and having the courage to be who she is. In case you do not know what I am talking about do watch the video below.

I came across this a few months ago, when it first popped up on reddit.I, like all other, applauded her courage to stand by the choices she made and her mental strength. Then I forgot all about it.

 Till this morning.

 This morning I came across another lady called Valeria Lukyanova, a model from Ukraine who has got a lot of plastic surgery done to resemble the popular Barbie doll. 

 

Do check out the link . It left me quite astonished!

Both are extreme cases. In one, the person has consciously rejected the society's norm of 'beauty' and in the other the person has embraced it to the fullest.Both have received large volumes of mails of admiration, as well as hate mails. Does anyone else have a right to comment on their choices? I do not think so.

Yet, physical beauty does drive a whole lot of things. Economists have found out that  physical beauty affects wages even in professions where appearance does not seem relevant to performance.

Here is my take on this whole beauty business.

I am against beauty pageants like Miss World and Miss Universe, simply because it has absurd conditions like the woman has to be, between a certain age and has to be unmarried (why?! How does it matter?!). Also, this whole objectification of women, where she is just reduced to her looks and clothes (never mind the  interview questions that are asked!) and judged on the basis of that, is something I find distasteful. I would rather applaud that girl whose parents were uneducated labourers from the poorest sections of the society and yet, she stood first in her exams, studying by the street-lights. That according to me is true beauty. So is a woman who achieves something in a sport or another who rises to head a multinational. Those are the ones I shall applaud.

Same goes for men. Yes, I may admire a muscular guy who has a great physique, but will he command my respect? Not likely, unless he is a true gentleman.

Beauty is only skin deep.
To be truly beautiful, what you need is a warm wonderful smile, a kind heart and purity in deeds and thoughts.

True beauty is seeing the good in others, making the world a slightly better place  when you leave, by spreading cheer, hope and positivity.

True beauty is not hard to achieve. It doesn't need plastic surgery.
All it needs is a mind-set.
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