A Conscious Rethink

Inner Beauty Vs Outer Beauty: 4 Truths You Need To Hear

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smiling middle-aged woman depicting inner beauty vs outer beauty

Why do you love the people close to you? Not just the members of the family you were born or adopted into, but those you have chosen to have in your life?

Is it because of how they look ? Or do you love them for who they are ?

There’s a huge difference between outer beauty and inner beauty, and both of them have their place. In our youth-obsessed culture, external attractiveness is often put at the forefront of desirability in others. Yet when it comes to describing the people we adore most, we often talk about how much we love their personality traits, rather than their bodies.

Let’s take a look at some truths about inner beauty vs outer beauty, how they manifest, and why the former seems to be far more appreciated over time.

1. Outer beauty is subjective, inner beauty can be seen by everyone.

If you ask 100 people what they find physically beautiful in others, you’ll get a lot of different responses.

To illustrate this, Huffington Post ran a series in which people from many different countries were given photos of a man and a woman, and were asked to photoshop them to represent what they considered to be “ideal beauty.”

The responses for both the man and the woman were quite different depending on the region. As you can imagine, individual preferences are all over the place as well.

What one person might find physically attractive might be a huge turn-off to another, and vice versa. This is great in the sense that you’ll be less likely to compete with your friends for lovers if your tastes in physical beauty vary. It also means that according to the law of averages, no matter what a person looks like, there’s someone out there who will find them attractive.

When it comes to inner beauty, however, that’s quite a different story.

Take Princess Diana, for example. Yes, many people considered her to be a physically beautiful woman. Others did not. The one thing everyone could agree upon was that she had an incredibly kind, giving heart, and she was always willing to help those who needed her. That made her radiant beyond measure.

2. Outer beauty is largely beyond our control, inner beauty can be cultivated.

If you have enough money, you can achieve some level of outer beauty. One look at the average celebrity will prove that much. Plastic surgery can transform just about anyone’s features into shapes that the majority will find attractive.

Even if a person can’t afford a ton of cosmetic surgery, they can adjust their appearance with makeup, hair dye, exercise, and wardrobe adjustments.

But neither a personal trainer nor a scalpel can alter someone’s personality enough to turn them into a person that everyone will admire and adore.

In contrast, you don’t need a cent to cultivate inner beauty. The most basic practice of being aware of how you treat people and striving to improve upon that will help your inner beauty grow.

You can read and educate yourself in all manner of different subjects for free via libraries, online videos, as well as some online journals and academic resources. Developing your mind often develops your heart at the same time because all knowledge is interwoven with people and creatures and things that deserve care.

Learn different languages, study various world religions, get acquainted with various aspects of humanity’s history, both the dark and light bits. Want to be a bastion of inner peace, generosity of spirit, and loving kindness? Immerse yourself in spiritual studies, and start a meditation practice.

Getting involved in charitable works or nonprofit organizations is another great way to get that inner beauty stoked and glowing. Everyone has a skill that they can share to help others in need.

A giving heart and sincere care for others are two unparalleled traits when it comes to inner beauty. Even better, they can be cultivated at any time, with any skill set and able-bodiedness.

3. Outer beauty creates initial attraction, inner beauty generates long-lasting affection.

If you’re at a festival and your eyes follow a drop-dead gorgeous creature who walks by, it’s unlikely that you’re suddenly lusting over their personality. There’s nothing wrong with that: we are sexual beings, and can have instant attraction and chemistry to people we find physically attractive.

How often, however, have you gawped and fluttered after someone, only to be put off once you got to know them a little bit?

Some are far better looking on the outside than they are on the inside. They may be cruel, or racist, or judgmental, or embody any other number of less-than-wonderful traits. That’s disappointing, but also means that your pairing will likely be brief, rather than long-term.

In contrast, how many times have you gotten to know someone and fallen in love with their heart, mind, and spirit? These people may be just as attractive externally as they are internally. Or, they might be average-looking on the onset, but get more and more beautiful to you as you get to know them.

When you talk about the people you love, do you focus more on their physical traits or who they are inside? Sure, we may talk about how much we adore our lovers’ posteriors, eyes, lips, etc. But when we discuss the aspects about them that we love the most, we tend to talk about their sense of humor, intellect, kindness, etc.

4. Outer beauty changes over time, inner beauty is eternal.

Some people say that beauty fades over time, but most people prefer to think that it merely changes into a different form.

There’s a different beauty to be found in a regal, mature woman than the kind she had when she was a teenager. Similarly, a man in his middle to later years can be even more striking than he was in his twenties.

The kindness and gentleness in a person’s eyes doesn’t shine any less brightly because there are deep laugh lines etched nearby. A smile isn’t less reassuring or encouraging because it’s surrounded by a grey beard.

Many people who are very attached to their physical attractiveness get anxious and depressed when they start to see signs of aging in themselves. In contrast, those who don’t place as huge an emphasis on their physical beauty tend to be more comfortable with the natural aging process.

They know that their worth isn’t dependent upon how many people ogle their six pack or their cleavage. These people will draw others to them wherever they go because of the light that they exude. Whether they’re 18 or 81, they’ll still be welcomed and adored by throngs of people who recognize just how wonderful they are.

And when they pass on from this life, people will have far sweeter things to say about them than “they were pretty to look at.”

Beautiful Traits That People Love Most

When asked what traits they most look for in a spouse or life partner, the vast majority of people name things that have absolutely nothing to do with outer beauty.

They’re traits that they admire, want to experience on a constant basis, and feel are ideal in the people they want to keep in their lives.

Some of the top responses that make the average list are the following:

  • A good sense of humor
  • Trustworthiness
  • A supportive nature
  • Willingness to play and have fun
  • Understanding

As you can see, these are traits that anyone can embody. Furthermore, they’re aspects that we can love and admire in people other than our romantic partners.

When we think of the reasons why we love and admire our friends, parents, grandparents, and children, chances are many of these traits will make that list. Generally, people love their family members and close friends regardless of how they look. They could be put through threshing machines and we’d still love them because we adore them for who they are and how they make us feel.

Audrey Hepburn had something great to say about inner beauty vs outer beauty:

“The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.”

Although the quote above specifically mentions women, it can work for people of any gender.

When we place more emphasis on inner beauty than outer beauty, we can learn to appreciate other people (and ourselves) on several different levels. We can look past any physical traits to see who these people really are.

Be aware that when you start to focus more on inner beauty than outer, you may get a bit choked up about past experiences. When we start to do more spiritual work and soul searching, we may realize how often we may have immediately dismissed others from our lives because we’ve been judgmental about their appearance.

A great example of that is this interview with actor Dustin Hoffman. In the mid 1980s, he was cast in a movie called “Tootsie,” in which he played an actor who dresses as a woman in order to get an acting role. His experience, which involved him living life as an average-looking woman rather than a beautiful one, humbled him.

“I went home and started crying, talking to my wife. And I said I have to make this picture, and she said, ‘Why?’ And I said, because I think I am an interesting woman when I look at myself on screen. And I know that if I met myself at a party, I would never talk to that character because she doesn’t fulfill physically the demands that we’re brought up to think women have to have in order for us to ask them out. There are too many interesting women I have not had the experience to know in this life because I have been brainwashed.”

If you’ve experienced something like this firsthand, having judged others by how they look, that’s okay. Please be gentle and forgiving with yourself about it. We all learn and grow through our missteps, and sometimes those missteps can be painful ones.

Similarly, if you’ve been on the receiving end of other people’s superficial judgment and unkindness, know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Those people were coming from places of their own programming. Even though they may have been hurtful toward you, ultimately they’re doing themselves a great disservice in not allowing themselves to see past initial appearances.

All of us can appreciate both inner beauty and outer beauty, and hopefully find our own magical balance between the two. We can recognize that physical beauty comes in many different forms, and that people don’t lose beauty when and if our shells change over time.

We love one another dearly for who we are, not how we look.

Just like favorite books we’ve read time and time again, the stories contained inside and the emotions they evoke matter far more than the different covers that may encase them temporarily.

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About The Author

essay on outer beauty

Catherine Winter is an herbalist, INTJ empath, narcissistic abuse survivor, and PTSD warrior currently based in Quebec's Laurentian mountains. In an informal role as confidant and guide, Catherine has helped countless people work through difficult times in their lives and relationships, including divorce, ageing and death journeys, grief, abuse, and trauma recovery, as they navigate their individual paths towards healing and personal peace.

iDIVA

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Inner Beauty VS Outter Beauty

The Eternal Debate: Inner Beauty vs. Outer Beauty

Outer beauty pleases the eye. Inner beauty captivates the heart.” – Mandy Hale

In a world obsessed with appearances, the age-old debate continues to simmer beneath the surface: Is inner beauty truly superior to outer beauty? While the allure of a striking exterior is undeniable, let’s embark on a cerebral journey to dissect this intriguing topic and uncover the hidden gems that lie within. Buckle up, as we delve deep into the realms of human perception, self-worth, and what it means to be truly beautiful.

The Superficial Mirage: Outer Beauty

Outer beauty is like a captivating mirage in the desert of our lives. It can entrance, mesmerize, and draw people in like a moth to a flame. But beneath the shimmering surface, we often find that it’s but a fleeting illusion.

  • The Fleeting Nature of Looks: Outer beauty is ephemeral, subject to the passage of time, changing trends, and the unrelenting march of age. What’s considered beautiful today might be passé tomorrow.
  • The Peril of Superficial Judgments: Our society tends to judge a book by its cover, often at the expense of the richness of the content within. Superficial judgments can lead to missed opportunities for connection and understanding.
  • The Pressure to Conform: Pursuit of external beauty often leads to a relentless quest for perfection, fostering body image issues and insecurity. The unrealistic beauty standards propagated by media exacerbates this problem.

The Hidden Treasures: Inner Beauty

Inner beauty, on the other hand, is like a rare gem hidden deep within the Earth. It’s a treasure that reveals itself over time, as we get to know a person on a deeper level.

  • The Enduring Quality of Character: Inner beauty emanates from qualities such as kindness, compassion, empathy, and intelligence. These traits have a timeless appeal that only deepens with age.
  • The Magnetic Power of Personality: A person’s character, wit, and charm can draw people in and create lasting connections. A magnetic personality can make someone irresistibly attractive.
  • The Authentic Self: Inner beauty is authentic; it doesn’t require masks or pretenses. Being true to oneself and having the courage to be vulnerable are marks of inner beauty.

A Harmonious Symbiosis: The Interplay of Inner and Outer Beauty

While inner and outer beauty are often pitted against each other, the truth is that they coexist in a delicate dance.

  • Complementary Forces: Inner and outer beauty can complement each other. A person’s inner confidence can enhance their outer allure, while outer beauty can provide a confidence boost that allows innate beauty to shine.
  • The Power of Self-Care: Taking care of one’s physical health can be an expression of self-love and respect. This self-care can contribute to an overall sense of well-being, which in turn enhances inner beauty.
  • The Role of Perception: Beauty is, to a large extent, in the eye of the beholder. Our perceptions are influenced by culture, upbringing, and personal experiences. What one person finds beautiful may differ from another’s perspective.

Cultivating Inner Beauty: A Lifelong Journey

  • Embrace Self-Discovery: Discover your passions, values, and what truly makes you come alive. Cultivating inner beauty starts with knowing and accepting yourself.
  • Practice Empathy: Empathy is a cornerstone of inner beauty. Seek to understand others, listen actively, and show kindness. It’s a win-win: you become more beautiful to others, and the world becomes a kinder place.
  • Nurture Relationships: Meaningful connections with others are a testament to your inner beauty. Invest time and effort in building and maintaining these relationships.

Balancing Act: Finding Your Unique Beauty Equation

Ultimately, the age-old debate between inner and outer beauty isn’t a battle to be won but a balance to be struck. The ideal lies in embracing both facets of beauty, recognizing that they are interconnected and can enhance one another.

  • Confidence Matters: Outer beauty can boost your confidence, but it’s inner beauty that sustains it. The more you cultivate inner beauty, the more you’ll radiate confidence.
  • The Power of Authenticity: Authenticity is beautiful. When you embrace your true self, you become more attractive both inside and out.
  • The Ever-Evolving Journey: Your perception of beauty may evolve as you age and gain wisdom. Embrace this evolution, and let it shape your unique understanding of beauty.

The Beautiful Truth

In the age-old tug of war between inner and outer beauty, we find that the two are not adversaries but intimate companions. They coexist in a complex, beautiful dance that varies from person to person. True beauty, we discover, transcends the surface and finds its essence in the depths of the human spirit. Whether you’re admiring a breathtaking sunset, the smile lines etched by a lifetime of laughter, or the kindness that radiates from within, beauty, in all its forms, is indeed in the eye of the beholder.

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A Seeker's Thoughts

Personal Thoughts and Observations of a Lone Seeker on how Ancient Wisdom is Revealed through Symbolism, Mythology, Metaphor, Sacred Writings, Natural Cycles, and Everyday Life.

Joseph "Joe" Panek

E-mail joe panek, links to each one of my articles (alphabetical).

  • *Alchemical Marriage
  • *Alchemy and Self-Improvement
  • *Amnion, Amniotic Fluid and Amnesia (Past Life Recall)
  • *Anchor (As A Symbol)
  • *Ancient Initiate
  • *Ancient Initiate (Part 2)
  • *Ankh, Egyptian
  • *Anubis and Upuaut
  • *Appearances And Perceptions
  • *Apple (As A Symbol)
  • *Apprenticeships and Internships
  • *Archetypes
  • *Arrow, The (A Symbol for Thoughts)
  • *Atman (Our God Within)
  • *Autumn (Fall) Equinox
  • *Awareness (Foresight)
  • *Axe, The (As A Symbol)
  • *Ba and Ka - Egyptian Symbolism
  • *Baal (Myth And Symbol)
  • *Beauty (Inner Beauty vs. Outer Beauty)
  • *Bells and Chimes (As Symbols)
  • *Blending Of Differences
  • *Books and Scrolls as Symbols
  • *Borders Between Realms
  • *Call To Adventure
  • *Call To Adventure (Part 2)
  • *Capricorn and the Sea Goat
  • *Carpenter (As A Symbol)
  • *Change (The Eternal Constant)
  • *Choices (Your Choices Define Your Destiny)
  • *Choosing Our Thoughts
  • *Circle, The (As A Symbol)
  • *Circumpolar Stars
  • *Coincidence
  • *Compatibility
  • *Compromise
  • *Conformity and the Conformist
  • *Consequences (Unintended)
  • *Cornucopia (Symbol for Abundance)
  • *Cosmic Serpent
  • *Creative Destruction
  • *Crossroads (Symbol And Metaphor)
  • *Cycles Of Eternity
  • *Debates and Debating
  • *Decisions (Emotional)
  • *Devolution - From Gods To Vassals
  • *Divine Nature, Our
  • *Dot Within A Circle (As A Symbol)
  • *Draco the Dragon
  • *Drum, The (Symbol and Metaphor)
  • *Dumbledore and Gandalf
  • *Dust (Mythology, Mysticism and Symbolism)
  • *Egyptian Ankh
  • *Egyptian Anubis and Upuaut
  • *Egyptian Cartouche
  • *Egyptian Maat
  • *Egyptian Neter (God And Goddess Symbolism)
  • *Egyptian Pyramid (Part 1 - Symbolism)
  • *Egyptian Pyramid (Part 2 - Symbolism)
  • *Egyptian Shen Ring
  • *Egyptian Sphinx
  • *Egyptian Thoth
  • *Egyptian Weighing Of The Heart (Symbol and Metaphor)
  • *Emotional Decisions
  • *Face Of A Child
  • *Failures, Mistakes, and Tinkering
  • *Feather (As A Symbol)
  • *Femur, The (As A Symbol)
  • *First Time, The (Zep Tepi)
  • *Five-Pointed Star (As A Symbol)
  • *Flying (As A Symbol)
  • *Fog (As A Symbol)
  • *Fool, The (Tarot Symbolism)
  • *Footprint (As A Symbol)
  • *Forbidden Act, The One
  • *Forgiveness (Release and Acceptance)
  • *Four Elements, The (As Symbols)
  • *Four Pillars of Heaven
  • *Gandalf and Dumbledore
  • *Garden of Eden
  • *Genesis (The Source)
  • *Giant, The (As A Symbol)
  • *Gnosis - An Inner Knowing
  • *Goat, The (Symbolism and Mythology)
  • *Gold - As A Symbol
  • *Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh and The Three Wise Men
  • *Guilt, Threats, and Obligations
  • *Gunas, Three (Trinity)
  • *Hand And Cloud (As A Symbol)
  • *Hermetic Logos
  • *Hermit, The (Tarot Symbolism)
  • *Higher Cause, The
  • *Hobbit Thoughts
  • *Holy Grail
  • *Holy Of Holies (Sanctum Sanctorum)
  • *Horizons (Legendary Adventures)
  • *Huginn And Munnin (As A Symbol)
  • *Human Behavior Patterns
  • *Hyperborea - Beyond the Northern Winds
  • *In Pursuit of Wizards, Guides and Mentors
  • *Independent Thought
  • *Initiation Ceremonies
  • *Inner Demons, Our
  • *Instruction Of The Initiate
  • *Instruction vs. Indoctrination
  • *Interconnectedness (The Karmic Web)
  • *Janus (Symbol and Myth)
  • *Justice - And Its Symbolism
  • *Karmic Paths and Roads
  • *Knot, The (As A Symbol)
  • *Known, Unknown and the Unknowable
  • *Ladder, The (Symbol of Ascension)
  • *Laws (Divine vs. Man-Made)
  • *Learning (Lessons)
  • *Lightening (As A Symbol)
  • *Lighthouse, The (As A Symbol)
  • *Lightning As A Symbol
  • *Lone Wolf (As A Symbol)
  • *Maat - Egyptian Goddess (Symbol and Myth)
  • *Magical Artifacts, Talismans, Words, Incantations and Spells
  • *Marinating Our Thoughts
  • *Masquerade (The Masks We Wear)
  • *Master Teachers (Ancient Spiritual Guides)
  • *Memories And Remembrances
  • *Mind, Body And Spirit
  • *Mirror, The (Symbol Of Reflection)
  • *Mis-Translation and Mis-Interpretation (Of Ancient Texts And Symbols)
  • *Mist (As A Symbol)
  • *Mother Earth (As A Symbol)
  • *Mystical Union of Spirit, Matter, Our Physical Body and Vibration
  • *Nakedness and Nudity
  • *Names and Naming
  • *Nature Spirits and Elemental Beings
  • *Neith - Egyptian Goddess Of Weaving
  • *Non-Conformity and the Non-Conformist
  • *Oak Trees, Acorns, Mistletoe and Druids
  • *Obscure Wisdom And Hidden Truth
  • *Occam's Razor
  • *Our Time In History (Our Incarnation)
  • *Pacts vs Self-Reliance
  • *Past Life Recall
  • *Pelican (As A Symbol)
  • *Personality And Reputation
  • *Phoenix, The (Symbol And Myth)
  • *Pomegranate (Symbol and Myth)
  • *Prayer (A Spiritual Conversation)
  • *Precession of the Equinoxes
  • *Prime Directive
  • *Pyramid, Egyptian (Part 1 - Symbolism)
  • *Pyramid, Egyptian (Part 2 - Symbolism)
  • *Quests and Fellowships
  • *Rainbow (As A Symbol)
  • *Refusal Of Sacrifice
  • *Relationships
  • *Reminiscences
  • *Rites Of Passage
  • *Rituals And Ceremonies
  • *Rivers - As A Symbol (Part 1)
  • *Rivers - As A Symbol (Part 2)
  • *Road, The (Our Personal Journey)
  • *Sacrifice (Part 2)
  • *Saturn: The Teacher (Symbol and Myth)
  • *Sea Goat and Capricorn
  • *Seeds (Symbols of Tomorrow's Garden)
  • *Seeker, The
  • *Self-Deception
  • *Self-Honesty
  • *Self-Imposed Limitations
  • *Self-Instruction (Self-Initiation)
  • *Serpent (As A Symbol)
  • *Shadow, The (Symbol, Myth, Metaphor)
  • *Sharing Energy and Forming Bonds
  • *Shooting Star (Symbol and Myth)
  • *Simplicity
  • *Sin and Judgment Day
  • *Smoke (As A Symbol)
  • *Solar Eclipse
  • *Sovereignty
  • *Sphinx (Symbol, Myth and Mystery)
  • *Spirit and Matter
  • *Spirit vs. Soul
  • *Spiritual Explorer, The
  • *Spiritual Passion
  • *Spiritual Refinement
  • *Star, The (Symbol and Metaphor)
  • *Statues, Images and Idols
  • *Subconscious, Our
  • *Sword, The (Symbol of the Mind)
  • *Symbols And Symbolism
  • *Tao - Infinite Mysteries
  • *Tarot Fool, The (Symbol Of A Seeker)
  • *Tarot Hermit, The (Symbol of Wisdom)
  • *Theater Of Life
  • *Thinker, The (Rodin's Symbolic Sculpture)
  • *Thoth (Egyptian Neter)
  • *Thoughts Are As Swift As Arrows
  • *Thoughts, Actions and Karma
  • *Thread And The Tapestry
  • *Three Gunas (Trinity)
  • *Tom Bombadil - Part 1
  • *Tom Bombadil - Part 2
  • *Tom Bombadil - Part 3
  • *Tom Bombadil - Part 4
  • *Tower, The (As A Symbol)
  • *Trailblazer (Symbol and Metaphor)
  • *Transcending Duality
  • *Transformation
  • *Traveling (Symbol, Metaphor, I Ching)
  • *Trivia (Three Paths)
  • *Unattached Observer
  • *Unicorn (As A Symbol)
  • *Unintended Consequences
  • *Union Of Duality
  • *Veil Of Isis (Symbol and Mythology)
  • *Vesica Piscis (As A Symbol)
  • *Virgin Birth (Symbolism and Mythology)
  • *Vow of Poverty
  • *Vulva (Seeded) - As A Symbol
  • *War, Peace And The Common Enemy
  • *Water (Symbol and Mythology)
  • *Weighing Of The Heart (Egyptian Symbol and Metaphor)
  • *When The Student Is Ready
  • *Wilderness, The (An Inner Journey)
  • *Winter Solstice
  • *Wizard's Staff, The (Symbol and Mythology)
  • *Wizards And Wanderers (As Symbols)
  • *Words - And Their Power
  • *World Tree (As A Symbol)
  • *Youthfulness
  • *Zep Tepi (The First Time)
  • Vow of Poverty

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Outer beauty VS Inner beauty: The 3 essential differences

Outer beauty VS Inner beauty: The 3 essential differences

“Your outer beauty will capture the eyes, your inner beauty will capture the heart.” Steven Aitchison

When looking for a romantic partner, or a life-long friend what do you value more – a beautiful body or a beautiful mind? If you follow I Heart Intelligence , chances are you chose the latter.

If you too are wondering, take a look at the following three main differences between outer and inner beauty : 

1. inner beauty is seen by many, while outer beauty is subjective. .

There are 7 billion people in this world, with 7 billion different opinions about outer beauty. If you are a traveler by heart, then you know how contrasting beauty perceptions are around the globe. What you may find physically attractive can be an absolute eyesore to someone else and vice versa. And this is truly magical because it implies that regardless of a person’s physical features, there is always going to be someone out there who finds them appealing.

2. Outer beauty drives initial attraction, but inner beauty is what makes it last. 

The truth is that outer beauty immensely helps when it comes to making good first impressions. Whether we like it or not, we live in a world where most people do judge the book by its cover. However, many individuals usually don’t bother reading the book.

On the other hand, you have probably been in situations where you judged someone based on their appearance only, and once they opened their mouth, you regretted even starting a conversation with them. This certainly doesn’t mean that attractive people are not intelligent. But, unfortunately, there are many occasions in which outer beauty doesn’t match inner beauty.

However, if you take the time to read the book, you may find out that the gorgeous cover has only a fraction of the actual beauty within. Once you get to know someone’s genuine personality and discover how mesmerizing their mind is, you instantly want to continue bonding with them. This proves that physical appearance means nothing when you have a good soul.

3. Cultivating inner beauty leads to growth, while altering outer beauty may lead to losing your identity.  

Sadly, with social media being a massive part of our lives, far too many people are struggling with self-image issues not because there is something wrong with them, but because they are convinced they need to look a certain way to be accepted by society. So they delve into the world of plastic surgery and they slowly lose their identities in order to  fit in.

In reality, what we should be encouraging is not altering our bodies, but remodeling our mindset. We should become more aware of the way we treat others and ourselves. We should be inspired to learn more languages, so we can dive into different cultures and expand our limits. Instead of spending money on looking like someone else, spend time on becoming the best version of yourself. Because outer beauty fades, but the beauty within is timeless.

What are the most beautiful traits in a person?

As noted by A Conscious Rethink, when asked about what traits they look for in a potential long-term partner, most people name things that have nothing to do with physical appearance. Some of the features we seek the most are Kindness, Loyalty, Patience, Integrity, Empathy, A good sense of humor, and A supportive nature. 

All of these traits can be found in anyone, regardless of the outer beauty they possess. More importantly, these are personality characteristics we seek in those we see as our potential life partners, meaning that we value them more than we value a pretty face.

The iconic Italian actress Sophia Loren, one of the most stunning women the world knows, once said:

“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical.”

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essay on outer beauty

Inner Beauty vs Outer Beauty

Which matters to you more.

Laura Annabelle

Laura Annabelle

I like myself the way I am. – Penelope

For so many years from starting to wear makeup, I had hidden not only my inner and outer beauty, but also my true and real self. For years since I found a picture of Demi Lovato with no filter and inspiring her fans to go bare (natural), I set a goal for myself to work towards that along with improving my face complexion and overall self esteem and confidence enough to have enough courage to go out in public just as the person God made me with no filter and not be ashamed or afraid of what society would say or think about me.

Since a year that it started, I had always cared about what others thought about me dictating and changing my direction every time which ended up choosing the person I ended up being from that. And for years I had hated how society had affected me like that. I wanted to break that barrier, that curse that had always won against me every day. But after trial after trial, nothing changed nor improved in the ways I wanted to from working on that goal of mine.

And as for all I’ve been through with my mental health and low or lack of self esteem/self love, I kept struggling feeling confident and comfortable in my own skin like a great example, Demi Lovato in her Confident music video. Many times throughout my past life, I thought I knew who I was and who I wanted to be but deep down, especially knowing now, that’s not at all the person I wanted to be.

At a certain point in working on my goal, I so desperately wanted to change all of my flaws for they had made me feel so ugly inside and out, I felt so disugested with myself for I wasn’t accepting of my own body, personality, and my whole self that God made me as.

Looks and all, I wanted to change them instead of accepting, respecting, understanding and being confident as God had made me. Becuase I just wanted to have naturally wavy or straight hair rather than the natural curly hair that God and my parents gave me.

Which has been the reason behind why I have been straightening my hair everywhere I go out in public. Along with feeling more like a part of the person that I wanted to be, look along with working on improving, working on myself to feel that confident, young, beautiful, amazing, talented, happy self that I was working on achieving.

For years I never knew what beauty (beautiful) was supposed to look and feel like. I looked up to celebs like Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls (looking at her figure, and wanting to have her figure), but deep down, I shouldn’t look up to someone like her for that reason.

I should look up to role models like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Madison Beer, Demi Lovato and others who inspired, encouraged, and idolized the right things in their fans. It took me a while after watching “ Penelope ” and “ Girl Meets Flaws ” from Girl Meets World to understand and start using those new knowledge I gained from them to help me accomplish this goal of mine.

To understand what true and real beauty looks and feels like. To not change for society but for myself for that’s why I should change a part of myself. Choosing not to give in to that power from those part of society convincing millions to be someone that they are not. We all need to set ourselves free from this epidemic/issue for it has made us a bad version of ourselves rather than anything that has a good influence on ourselves in result.

We all should set our minds to letting our voices be heard to inspire, encourage, and create a better future and a better world for we all know that the world needs to change, so does our future. We should inspire the right, healthy & positive things in the world to create better change for a better world. The world needs and deserves exactly that.

And so lately as of today, I’ve thought long and hard and have decided to continue wearing my natural beauty as God gave me and own it! I’m gonna embrace it as much as I want to and not let nor give in to what society has to say about that. I am who I am and I’m not gonna be ashamed of that girl, soon to be a women that I am. And I inspire and encourage others to do the same.

It’s time for us to take off our masks and show the world who we really and truly are under that mask and not have an regrets, second thoughts on doing exactly that. This is our time, it’s our life and our world and we have to make it all what it should be. We can do anything we set our minds to as inspired by both Selena Gomez & Justin Bieber. So what are you waiting for?

“It’s not the power of the curse, it’s the power you give the curse.” – Penelope

Self Esteem: Definition

  • a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect.
  • an inordinately or exaggeratedly favorable impression of oneself.

Self Confidence: Definition

  • realistic confidence in one’s own judgment, ability, power, etc.
  • excessive or inflated confidence in one’s own judgment, ability, etc.

Outer Beauty vs. Inner Beauty: We Have it Backwards

If you ask most people what they find beautiful about a person, many of them will probably begin to describe someone’s…

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If you ask most people what they find beautiful about a person, many of them will probably begin to describe someone’s physical characteristics. It usually goes something like this: “ I like big eyes, long hair, muscles, and a nice butt….” Rarely do you hear someone reply, “ What makes someone beautiful to me is their generosity, courage, kindness, and sense of humor .”

As a professor, one of the classes I teach is gender communication. And that doesn’t just mean how men and women communicate differently – or even just tips for how to get along with the opposite sex. Yes, it does include that. But what I also teach is how our society (especially messages from the media) help create and perpetuate gender ideals. In other words, we all get messages about what it’s like to be the “ perfect woman” or the “ perfect man .”

In an era of TV shows such as these, along with the kinds about plastic surgery, it’s no wonder that so many people are seeking out ways to “ fix ” their outer selves. For example, since Keeping Up with the Kardashians debuted, some people are even getting Brazilian butt lifts so they can look like Kim Kardshian. Sure, it might seem like it’s a good thing to do if you have the money (well, maybe). But what people don’t take into consideration is the risks they are taking just to live up to society’s standards of beauty.

It’s also important to point out that beauty ideals have changed throughout time. As illustrated in this video, you can see how wildly different every era’s gender ideals have been for women. For example, during the Italian Renaissance and Victorian England, the perfect woman was slightly overweight and had very pale skin (kind of makes me wish I lived during those times – ha). So, there are no objective or consistent measures of beauty – even though there is scientific research that has actually tried to objectively define beauty. But in reality, it’s all what a culture socially agrees upon as perfect definition of “ beauty .” There are even many different beauty standards across the world today – even for men.

So that leads me to ask the question: when and why as human beings are we so obsessed with outer beauty? Why do we value it above inner beauty?

Or, in my opinion, why do we have it all backwards?

I am sure the answer goes back to how our DNA is programmed. Humans instinctively look for the best mate in order to pass down their genes to the next generation. But isn’t it sad that we are still letting biological programming dictate our conceptualization of beauty? It seems like would should have somehow evolved past that. But clearly we haven’t. And it seems like it’s worse than ever.

I have known many physically beautiful people who I didn’t like, because on the inside they were anything but pretty. And conversely, I’ve known some not-so-physically beautiful people who were such amazing people on the inside that you didn’t even see their “ imperfections .” I’m sure you have too.

But if you look at what’s going on with people – especially young people – many of them would prefer to be in the “ in crowd ” with the “ popular and beautiful people ” – if they are allowed in. However, sometimes those people aren’t even that nice. You hear stories about how some girls get “ let in ” to a popular clique, and then they dump their nicer friends who they have known all their lives. Those stories aren’t rare, unfortunately. It happens a lot.

Recently, I saw a post on Facebook where someone said that she focuses on someone’s inner beauty. Sounds great. But the ironic thing about that post was that the person who wrote it has done some pretty horrible things to her loved ones. And, she happens to be a physically beautiful person. It just got me to realize that she didn’t realize that her inner self could use a “ face lift .” And that it was an important thing to do so. She should take a look in the metaphorical mirror at who she really is and how her negative behavior has hurt so many people. It’s sad. But I don’t think she’s the only one. Many people are unaware of their inner selves, and more aware of their outer selves (physical appearance).

So, my wish for you is for you to stop worrying about your outer beauty so much. I know the saying goes, “ Beauty fades. ” But I think that’s a horrible statement. I prefer “ Beauty changes. ” Once beautiful, always beautiful. And once you have inner beauty, that is one thing that will never change. Instead of worrying about the wrinkles on your face or the cellulite on our thighs, think about how you can be kinder and gentler. Think about how you can leave your mark on this world in a positive way.

Why is Inner Beauty More Important Than Outer Beauty?

Inner beauty is such a misnomer, if you give it a second consideration. What is inner beauty even supposed to mean…

www.lovepanky.com

Is inner beauty something that ugly people say to themselves to feel better? Find out the real truth about inner beauty that’ll reveal another side.

Inner beauty is such a misnomer, if you give it a second consideration.

  • What is inner beauty even supposed to mean anyway?
  • Is it a kind of beauty that’s on the inside?
  • So is that something we can never see, and only imagine?
Inner beauty isn’t just inner beauty. As you dwell on the idea for a while, you’ll realize that inner beauty is the only beauty there is.

I’m not trying to say that outer appearances don’t matter.

All I’m saying is that inner beauty plays a much bigger part even in first sight than you think.

[Read: Signs your negative thinking is ruining your life] ⬇️

Is Your Negative Thinking Ruining Your Life?

It’s never easy to know if you’re a negative thinker. At times, even the most logical of people could secretly be…

What is inner beauty all about?

By definition, inner beauty may be described as something that’s experienced through a person’s character rather than by appearances.

It’s the real beauty of a person that goes far beyond just physical appearances.

To most people, inner beauty is a joke. People say that inner beauty is something ugly people say to themselves to feel better. Of course, that makes perfect sense too. I mean, if you can’t see it, who can really tell whether it even exists in the first place?

The real truth about inner beauty and all its confusions.

You may assume that inner beauty is something you can only feel and never see. But how true is that? There’s a big confusion between outer beauty and inner beauty, and in all that confusion, we’ve overlooked the true effort of inner beauty and given all the credit to outer beauty.

You may assume that you never notice inner beauty at first sight. But is that really true? Almost all the time, you notice a person’s physical appearance only for a moment, until the real inner beauty starts the attraction game.

You may speak to someone for a minute and find them pleasant or not-so-pleasant at first. But as the conversation goes on for a minute or two, you may start to pick qualities and traits, and without even realizing it, you may start to find a person more and more beautiful or charming.

[Read: How to get someone to like you immediately]

How to Get Someone To Like You Immediately

Have you ever met someone who made you feel warm and relaxed within a few minutes of meeting them? For most of us,…

What makes attractive people so attractive?

You may think it’s a chiseled face or a gorgeous physique that makes a person attractive. But more than anything else, it’s a person’s inner belief that they’re attractive that makes them more appealing to others.

It’s true, physical appearances can be a bonus, but it’s something that’s easily overlooked when other traits are brought into the picture.

The glow of confidence and sex appeal comes from within yourself. Some of the most fancied personalities like Oprah, Lady Gaga or Tom Hanks aren’t really the prettiest of people. But their glowing confidence and self-belief makes them attractive to every member of the opposite sex.

Even Shrek the ogre seems loveable and nice once you get to know him, don’t you think?

First impressions don’t always depend on your physique or your facial features, but you need to believe that from within yourself. And that’s where your true beauty lies.

Are you beautiful on the inside?

Inner beauty helps you appreciate outer beauty. If you love, appreciate and feel good about yourself, you would feel more confident about facing and interacting with other beautiful people in the world. Remember, outer beauty can give you a glance, it’s inner beauty that makes someone stay.

[Read: How to make new friends when you can’t find any friends]

How to Make Real Friends Outside Your Social Networks

Life is all about memories. More than what you achieve in life, how you remember the journey can make your life feel…

Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder?

I personally believe that beauty isn’t really in the eye of the beholder. I think beauty is within ourselves. What others see when they look at us is a projection of what we want them to see.

When you fill your thoughts with positive energy and inner beauty, you’d appreciate the things that are around you a lot more too. Even when you look at an inanimate object like a painting, or even a view of the ocean, it seems more beautiful to you because you see the beauty that overflows within you reflect in everything else around you.

If you feel beautiful, your own self belief and confidence brings out a glow of beauty that no outer beauty can compete with. But if you feel ugly, your inner beauty will reflect the same idea and project it on your outer beauty. If you truly feel beautiful on the inside, you’d never seem unappealing to anyone else.

Yes, it’s true that some people may want a 36 – 24 – 36 body in their partner or never ending legs, but that’s only a preference. Just like how some girls see wealth as an important criterion when it comes to dating a guy, it’s all just a preference. And you really need to understand that from within.

Inner beauty can be seen by everyone else

And it’s so much more beautiful than outer beauty. So what if you’re several pounds overweight, or short or bald? Truly believe in yourself. But if you seem unconvinced that you’re truly beautiful, start working on what you perceive as flaws about yourself.

[Read: 10 steps to a more graceful and elegant you]

How to be Graceful and Elegant in 10 Easy Steps

The art of being graceful isn’t a trait that’s just used to impress a guy or look good at a social gathering. It’s the…

http://www.lovepanky.com

Flaws are perceptive and it’s a flaw only because you believe it’s one. A girl who wants to lose 10 pounds may think she’s fat, while another girl who wants to be size zero may think she’s fat. To a third girl’s eye, both those girls may already be skinny! Beauty is just a perception that begins from within.

Just look at Nigella Lawson, she’s so pretty, flirty and gorgeous, that no one would even notice that she’s not exactly skinny! Any guy would be willing to date her in a flash. If that’s not the power of inner beauty, perception and self confidence, really, then what is?!!

The real beauty that everyone sees.

If inner beauty is the true beauty that everyone sees, why is it even called inner beauty? Shouldn’t it just be called outer beauty then because that’s what everyone notices anyway?

Well, a better word would be just beauty, there’s nothing inner or outer about it.

You’re beautiful if you believe you’re beautiful. You’re attractive if you feel attractive. Everyone only sees you as a projection of what you see when you look into the mirror.

You’re beautiful if you know it and feel it. So go on out there, because there’s a whole world waiting for the beautiful you. And if you still feel like there’s a flaw holding the beautiful you back, learn to overcome it.

[Read: How to be perfect in everything that you do]

How to be Perfect in Everything You Do

Perfection is what all of us want. It’s the difference between achieving something great or leaving something…

At the end of the day, call it what you want, inner beauty or outer, there’s just one kind. And it’s the kind of beauty you see when you look into the mirror.

Since a year that it started, I had always cared about what others thought about me dictating and changing my direction every time which ended up choosing the person I ended up being from that. And for years I had hated how society had affected me like that.

I wanted to break that barrier, that curse that had always won against me every day. But after trial after trial, nothing changed nor improved in the ways I wanted to from working on that goal of mine. And as for all I’ve been through with my mental health and low or lack of self esteem/self love, I kept struggling feeling confident and comfortable in my own skin like a great example, Demi Lovato in her Confident music video.

Many times throughout my past life, I thought I knew who I was and who I wanted to be but deep down, especially knowing now, that’s not at all the person I wanted to be. At a certain point in working on my goal, I so desperately wanted to change all of my flaws for they had made me feel so ugly inside and out, I felt so disugested with myself for I wasn’t accepting of my own body, personality, and my whole self that God made me as.

Looks and all, I wanted to change them instead of accepting, respecting, understanding and being confident as God had made me. Becuase I just wanted to have naturally wavy or straight hair rather than the natural curly hair that God and my parents gave me. Which has been the reason behind why I have been straightening my hair everywhere I go out in public.

Along with feeling more like a part of the person that I wanted to be, look along with working on improving, working on myself to feel that confident, young, beautiful, amazing, talented, happy self that I was working on achieving. For years I never knew what beauty (beautiful) was supposed to look and feel like.

I looked up to celebs like Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls (looking at her figure, and wanting to have her figure), but deep down, I shouldn’t look up to someone like her for that reason. I should look up to role models like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Madison Beer, Demi Lovato and others who inspired, encouraged, and idolized the right things in their fans.

It took me a while after watching “ Penelope ” and “ Girl Meets Flaws ” from Girl Meets World to understand and start using those new knowledge I gained from them to help me accomplish this goal of mine. To understand what true and real beauty looks and feels like. To not change for society but for myself for that’s why I should change a part of myself.

Choosing not to give in to that power from those part of society convincing millions to be someone that they are not. We all need to set ourselves free from this epidemic/issue for it has made us a bad version of ourselves rather than anything that has a good influence on ourselves in result.

And so lately as of today, I’ve thought long and hard and have decided to continue wearing my natural beauty as God gave me and own it! I’m gonna embrace it as much as I want to and not let nor give in to what society has to say about that. I am who I am and i’m not gonna be ashamed of that girl, soon to be a women that I am. And I inspire and encourage others to do the same.

Love Within Oneself

What’s the 30 day challenge, Kelly? And I love your inspiring happier post! Totally agree with you! Low or lack of self esteem is a symptom or result with the media created by the rest of society. Justin Bieber inspired from “ Love Yourself ” with: My mama don’t like you and she likes everyone… You told me that you hated my friends.

But the problem was with you and not them. It’s within yourself to start a long and worthy journey with gaining enough self love…loving yourself. I know from my experience that it wasn’t easy, but worth it all! It always will be! And I’d like to thank Kelly and everyone of you Happiers for helping with this journey of gaining love within oneself, myself. Thank you!

Loving myself has been a long term goal for me since high school. Since grade 9, in 2011 of January; I watched and listened to Selena Gomez’s song, Who Says and it really inspired and really encouraged me to not care what people think of the “ real me ”. And to just accept myself as I am which I never really got any real success of progress till after coming home from college in 2015.

In the past years, I’ve took time throughout then to notice times when I was hard on myself, not liking the way I look, my voice, my natural hair, acne, and the list goes on. And every moment of these times I’ve always viewed and hated so much I wanted to change them: I wanted to change my flaws. Flaws may be good and some bad. But they should never be changed, unless the choice is for oneself rather than inspired or encoured by haters, or bullies out in the world.

If anyone wants to change anything about them, it should be for their personal gain, nothing to do with the reason being cuz the haters, bullies, and overall expectations and standards of society would be happy and satisfied with meeting their qualifications of who to be as a citizen of society.

But after you realize at a later point in your lives, you’ll realize how unhealthy, negative that kind of behaviour is with treating and overall caring for yourself. To me and overall the whole definition of self love and loving yourself is to love yourself as you are but only change anything about yourself if its for your own personal reason or gain (not anything as explained above). Also to recognize negative behavours others use towards you that are perceived and labeled as negative comments & behaviours and to stand up for yourself.

When you believe in yourself and things, you have that must or obligation to yourself to stand up for yourself even if that means standing alone (won’t be standing alone for long: so many others are in the same kind of boat as you) and to say so. It may be challenging, risky, and hard to accomplish in reality with all that comes along with it. But it’s the right thing to do no matter how others like your own family and others may be against.

For me, I’ve found it super challenging, risky and hard but as long as it took for me, I never gave up nor gave in to the pressures and high expectations of others no matter how logical it may seem to them. Yes they may have seemed logical years ago but this is the 21st century. We don’t follow that anymore.

You have to be more kind to yourself and others, no matter who they are. There should be no stigma, discrimination or distinction of anything that excludes or discriminates anyone with shame of any kind for any reason.

People believe that girls should wear makeup everywhere they go to hide their imperfections. But when it comes to me, I believe that if I’m confident, comfortable and happy in my own skin, there should be no reason at all in hiding it.

We should embrace, flaunt our looks. Not hide them because others would reject us or maybe we wouldn’t fit in better with the world if we did. What you think of yourself should matter more than what others think of you. You also shouldn’t let what others think of you affect how you see yourself.

Wearing makeup hides who you really are and why should you hide that?

People have told me that I should wear makeup to prevent people from making bad comments about my natural look without it. Well guess what? I don’t care what they think of me. I only care about what I think of myself!

I’m a lot tougher than you think I am. I may be sensitive, short and other things, but I’m a lot of great things too! You may see me break down at times, but the rest of the times, I’m invincible, unbreakable, unstoppable, and more! I knew that myself for how much experience I’ve have with it.

I know where I am in my life at my age, I still have a lot to learn. But that’s part of life but putting that aside, there’s so much that I want to offer the world and I want to do that because I’m passionate about doing that. Pursuing my life purpose. Many people close to me have told me to give it up. Because they think I should focus on better and more productive things. But what’s more productive than pursuing your own life purpose? Think about it.

Parents protect their kids from a lot of things yet they never think that one day at the right age and time, they’ll have to let go. Because they will need to learn how to protect themselves on their own. Well my parents haven’t accepted that I will have to learn to protect myself on my own yet. They tell me that if I were in a situation where someone has a gun to my head or something like that, that I wouldn’t be able to handle it right.

But my thoughts are: I’ve seen so many movies and tv shows like CSI, Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-O and more. And they have taught me there are many bad people (criminals) out there who I may not easily notice. But I got this. If I were in a situation and I had to figure out how I would protect myself from getting hurt by them, I would figure that soon enough before it’s too late… One day parents will have to accept that!

Now that I have finally accomplished the whole “ loving myself ” thing, I feel like I can analyze more of the things on the list in the link below to be 100% ready to be in a relationship with someone great out there when the time comes. I believe that I should try my best to stop imagining what my life would be like if I were already in a relationship right now and start focusing on more things I want for myself, figuring anything else that I haven’t figured out yet to make myself ready for when a cute guy asks me out… Only latter thinking, omg, this is finally happening.

For real. But until then, I need to try my best to not dream and think about what my life would be like if I were dating a great, handsome, and amazing guy at this point in my life. Being with all I have accomplished and not experienced yet. I have enough faith and the right mind to focus on better things and get out of the habit of looking when I’m really not meant to, he will find me at the right time… A lot of the whole looking habit is because I feel alone and knowing that my best friend has been dating her boyfriend for a year now and my sister was dating someone for a years too and at the time made me feel like I was and felt ready but not as ready as I feel now at this point:loving myself: accomplished.

But I know now that “ it’ll happen when it happens. ” And let it happen naturally without taking the first opportunity just because I feel alone… In the meantime, I know I have all you Happiers with my by my side, including Nataly Kogan, my best friend Courtney, my other friends, my sister, parents and the rest of my family. I’m fine and will find ways to keep improving myself, especially when they are visible and clear to me.! Thank you everyone for absolutely everything! It means the world!

Laura Annabelle

Written by Laura Annabelle

I’m just a young adult trying to figure out how to live her new adult life.

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Inner Beauty Vs Outer Beauty Essay | Essay About Beauty is a State of Mind, Inner Beauty is More Important Than Outer Beauty

January 25, 2022 by Prasanna

Inner Beauty Vs Outer Beauty Essay: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and what is beauty to one person might not be beauty to another. Some people are more attuned to beauty than others, and some people have a higher tolerance for it than others. This essay discusses the complex nature of beauty and how we should focus on inner rather than outer beauty.

The beauty crisis is a real one. Women believe they are not beautiful because they don’t look like the women in magazines or our society’s idea of “beauty”. The truth is, beauty is a state of mind and confidence is key to achieving any goal. If you lack self-confidence, it’s important that you recognize that inner beauty will never grow. By learning to love yourself, you can learn to feel confident and love your body. It’s important for women to start believing in themselves! When you feel beautiful, you can project your inner beauty onto the world. People will see that you are confident and happy, and the whole world will be a better place because of it. You will like yourself more, which is a key to success in all aspects of your life.

You can also find more Essay Writing articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

You Are Beautiful / Handsome

Inner beauty can be contagious, the exterior and the interior are linked, truly successful people have an inner beauty, inner beauty is the strength of relationships, how is the inner beauty of a person shown.

  • FAQs on Inner Beauty Vs Outer Beauty

Having a beautiful mind and spirit is just as important, or even more so, than having a beautiful body. Though outer beauty matters, it does not define who you are in the grand scheme of things. In fact, one’s inner beauty can be just as powerful as their outer beauty in changing the world. We have been taught that we are what we see, but the truth is that you are so much more than your physical appearance. When you listen to your heart, you will know who you truly are and what makes you unique. You are not defined by what you have, what you do or by who your friends are.

Inner beauty, like any other quality, can be contagious. Granted, inner beauty may not be the most important factor that affects the success of one’s career, but it is a key factor. It can really set someone apart from the rest of the pack. It can keep people on their toes and make what you do seem fresh and new. When you are confident in your inner beauty, people around you will take notice and will want to follow suit. And when people see the qualities of a person they like, they often want to emulate those qualities themselves. So, if you want to influence your team members without having to say anything, then just make sure you are always looking your best. Therefore, if you’re looking for success in your professional life and beyond, work on maintaining your inner beauty!

Beauty is an inner and outer expression of a person. On the outside, our exterior may not necessarily tell the world who we are on the inside. Hence, inner beauty is more important than just a good-looking exterior. Inner beauty allows us to be confident and compassionate people who can conquer life’s adversities with grace. As human beings we all desire to be loved and accepted by those around us. We want a family, a partner, friends who support us in our endeavors, and a career that we are glad to work in.

We want other people to know us for who we are–to be proud of our inner beauty. We all want to be true to ourselves, but we often fall short of achieving this goal.  When you are comfortable in your own skin and you feel beautiful, it’s easier to let your personality shine through in your life. In addition, being confident will allow you to take control of the situations that come at you–and make the most of them.

Successful people are not just those who have a lot of money. They are also the ones that emanate an inner beauty that shines through their character and personality. This inner beauty can be anything from a sense of humor to an ability to empathize with others, but it’s what helps these individuals thrive in life. Consider a person who is self-centered or lazy. We may criticize them, but we can understand that the root of such behavior comes from an inability to nurture themselves or their own children – but what does this have to do with success?

We can all see that these people are not happy. But what we do not see is that this unhappiness leads to a lack of success. People who are ambitious and focus on their goals can often be their own harshest critics. They often have a tendency to focus on their flaws and the inconveniences in their lives. This is because they cannot accept the basic fact that they are more than their circumstances. They cannot accept their own greatness. Only when we accept our own greatness will we truly create a better world, and in the process become happier. In a nutshell, successful people have a unique inner beauty that is hard to describe. They are also confident, compassionate, and self-aware. They are often likable and able to hold their own in any situation.

Inner beauty is a key to success, but not just in the workplace. Your inner beauty plays a significant role in relationships, whether it’s romantic or just a co-worker relationship. It’s important for both men and women to be attractive on the inside rather than only on the outside. Men and women should understand that they have a strong inner beauty, and it’s important to maintain that. When you’re not being your best self, it makes things more difficult than they need to be, and it’s important to do all that you can to tune into your inner strength.  Your relationships within your partner, family and circle of friends are based on love, respect, trust and integrity.

As already discussed, inner beauty of a person is not determined by outer appearance. The inner beauty is the true reflection of the person’s character. Inner beauty can be shown by how a person behaves, their words and actions. It takes effort to look away from the outside world and focus on your inner character because once you have done that, it is much easier to achieve great things for yourself. Also, inner beauty is something that you can’t put a price on and it really connects with people.

Inner beauty is the key to success in many ways. It is often noted that people with inner beauty are also the happiest and most successful people. Inner beauty is also the foundation of your life.  If you don’t have it, no amount of outer beauty will make up for it. It can also be considered a reflection of what your life looks like on the inside. Lastly, inner beauty is the quality of the inner self that emanates from one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is not about how much money you have or how many people you’ve attracted to you, but rather what kind of person you see in the mirror every morning.

FAQ’s on Inner Beauty Vs Outer Beauty

Question 1. Why is inner beauty real beauty?

Answer: Inner beauty is important to success, and because of that, it’s a key component in the competitive world we live in. But that doesn’t mean being attractive is all you need. What really counts are the qualities inside; like your heart, mind, character, and composure. So remember this truth: Inner beauty is real beauty!

Question 2. How does inner beauty differ from physical beauty?

Answer: Outward beauty and inward beauty are not the same. People often confuse outer physical beauty with inner worth, but inner beauty is unaffected by external factors. In fact, if you don’t have it, your outward appearance will not matter because people will not want to connect with you anyway. Inner beauty is what makes people want to connect with you; they want to know that you are beautiful inside and out.

Question 3. What is the meaning of outer beauty?

Answer: Most people seem to think that outer beauty is more important than inner beauty, but the truth is many people who are rich and beautiful don’t have the best personalities. People who hold themselves with confidence and self-worth are generally more attractive to others. A confident person might not be the most physically attractive, but they will always be admired for their personality.

Question 4. Why is internal beauty more important?

Answer: External beauty fades with time and doesn’t last forever, but internal beauty lasts a lifetime. The skin gets wrinkly, the hair gets gray, and lines appear on your face. You can’t change the way you look, but you can change how you feel about yourself and how others care about you. It is a sense of worth in oneself that makes us feel complete and happy.

Question 5. Where does the real beauty lie?

Answer: There is no denying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We are all different and we have our own ideas about what makes someone attractive, but there are some things that do not change with age – inner beauty is one of those things!

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The Truth About Beauty

It would be so nice if inner beauty triumphed over outer appearance. but men are designed to care about packaging. it's time to accept the not-so-pretty facts about looks..

By Amy Alkon published November 1, 2010 - last reviewed on June 9, 2016

The Truth About Beauty

There are certain practical realities of existence that most of us accept. If you want to catch a bear, you don't load the trap with a copy of Catch-22 —not unless you rub it with a considerable quantity of raw hamburger. If you want to snag a fish, you can't just slap the water with your hand and yell, "Jump on my hook, already!" Yet, if you're a woman who wants to land a man, there's this notion that you should be able to go around looking like Ernest Borgnine: If you're "beautiful on the inside," that's all that should count. Right. And I should have a flying car and a mansion in Bel Air with servants and a moat.

Welcome to Uglytopia—the world reimagined as a place where it's the content of a woman's character, not her pushup bra, that puts her on the cover of Maxim . It just doesn't seem fair to us that some people come into life with certain advantages—whether it's a movie star chin or a multimillion-dollar shipbuilding inheritance. Maybe we need affirmative action for ugly people; make George Clooney rotate in some homely women between all his gorgeous girlfriends. While we wish things were different, we'd best accept the ugly reality: No man will turn his head to ogle a woman because she looks like the type to buy a turkey sandwich for a homeless man or read to the blind.

There is a vast body of evidence indicating that men and women are biologically and psychologically different, and that what heterosexual men and women want in partners directly corresponds to these differences. The features men evolved to go for in women—youth, clear skin, a symmetrical face and body, feminine facial features, an hourglass figure—are those indicating that a woman would be a healthy, fertile candidate to pass on a man's genes .

These preferences span borders, cultures, and generations, meaning yes, there really are universal standards of beauty. And while Western women do struggle to be slim, the truth is, women in all cultures eat (or don't) to appeal to "the male gaze." The body size that's idealized in a particular culture appears to correspond to the availability of food. In cultures like ours, where you can't go five miles without passing a 7-Eleven and food is sold by the pallet-load at warehouse grocery stores, thin women are in. In cultures where food is scarce (like in Sahara-adjacent hoods), blubber is beautiful, and women appeal to men by stuffing themselves until they're slim like Jabba the Hut.

Men's looks matter to heterosexual women only somewhat. Most women prefer men who are taller than they are, with symmetrical features (a sign that a potential partner is healthy and parasite-free). But, women across cultures are intent on finding male partners with high status, power, and access to resources—which means a really short guy can add maybe a foot to his height with a private jet. And, just like women who aren't very attractive, men who make very little money or are chronically out of work tend to have a really hard time finding partners. There is some male grumbling about this. Yet, while feminist journalists deforest North America publishing articles urging women to bow out of the beauty arms race and "Learn to love that woman in the mirror!", nobody gets into the ridiculous position of advising men to "Learn to love that unemployed guy sprawled on the couch!"

Now, before you brand me a traitor to my gender , let me say that I'm all for women having the vote, and I think a woman with a mustache should make the same money as a man with a mustache. But you don't help that woman by advising her, "No need to wax that lip fringe or work off that beer belly!" (Because the road to female empowerment is...looking just like a hairy old man?)

Female Silouhette

But take The Beauty Myth author Naomi Wolf: She contends that standards of beauty are a plot to keep women politically, economically, and sexually subjugated to men—apparently by keeping them too busy curling their eyelashes to have time for political action and too weak from dieting to stand up for what they want in bed. Wolf and her feminist sob sisters bleat about the horror of women being pushed to conform to "Western standards of beauty"—as if eyebrow plucking and getting highlights are the real hardships compared to the walk in the park of footbinding and clitoridectomy. Most insultingly, Wolf paints women who look after their looks as the dim, passive dupes of Madison Ave nue and magazine editors. Apparently, women need only open a page of Vogue and they're under its spell—they sleepwalk to Sephora to load up on anti-wrinkle potions, then go on harsh diets, eating only carrots fertilized with butterfly poo.

It turns out that the real beauty myth is the damaging one Wolf and other feminists are perpetuating—the absurd notion that it serves women to thumb their noses at standards of beauty. Of course, looks aren't all that matter (as I'm lectured by female readers of my newspaper column when I point out that male lust seems to have a weight limit). But looks matter a great deal. The more attractive the woman is, the wider her pool of romantic partners and range of opportunities in her work and day-to-day life. We all know this, and numerous studies confirm it—it's just heresy to say so.

We consider it admirable when people strive to better themselves intellectually; we don't say, "Hey, you weren't born a genius, so why ever bother reading a book?" Why should we treat physical appearance any differently? For example, research shows that men prefer women with full lips, smaller chins, and large eyes—indicators of higher levels of estrogen . Some lucky women have big eyes; others just seem to, thanks to the clever application of eyeshadow. As the classic commercial says, "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline." (If it increases her options, who cares which it is?)

Unfortunately, because Americans are so conflicted and dishonest about the power of beauty, we approach it like novices. At one end of the spectrum are the "Love me as I am!" types, like the woman who asked me why she was having such a terrible time meeting men...while dressed in a way that advertised not "I want a boyfriend" but "I'm just the girl to clean out your sewer line!" At the other extreme are women who go around resembling porn -ready painted dolls. Note to the menopausal painted doll: Troweled on makeup doesn't make you look younger; it makes you look like an aging drag queen.

Likewise, being 50 and trying to look 25 through plastic surgery usually succeeds in making a woman look 45 and fembot-scary—an object of pity instead of an object of desire. Plastic surgery you can easily spot is usually a sign—either of really bad work or of somebody who's gone way over the top with it, probably because she's trying to fill some void in her life with silicone, Juvederm, and implanted butt cutlets. There are women who just want to fix that one nagging imperfection. For others, plastic surgery is like potato chips, as in, "Betcha can't eat just one." A woman comes in for a lunchtime lip job—an injection of Restylane or another plumping filler—and ends up getting both sets of lips done. Yes, I'm talking about labioplasty. (Are your vagina lips pouty?)

Once women start seeing wrinkles and crow's feet, the desperation to look like they were born yesterday often makes them act like it, too. Women want to believe there's such a thing as "hope in a jar"—and there is: hope from the CEO selling the jars that you and millions of others will buy him a new yacht and a chateau in the south of France. There actually is hope to be found in a plastic bottle—of sunblock, the kind that protects against both UVA and UVB rays (the skin-aging ones). But the Beauty Brains, a group of blogging cosmetic scientists, write, "The sad truth is that creams that claim to be anti-aging are not much more effective than standard moisturizing lotions."

French women, too, buy into the idea that there's some fountain of youth at the Clarins counter. But, perhaps because feminism never seeped into mainstream culture in France like it did here, they generally have a healthier and more realistic relationship with beauty, accepting it as the conduit to love, sex, relationships, and increased opportunities. They take pleasure in cultivating their appearance, and in accentuating their physical differences from men. They don't give up on looking after their looks as they age, nor do they tart themselves up like sexy schoolgirls at 50. They simply take pride in their appearance and try to look like sensual, older women.

To understand what it takes to be beautiful, we need to be very clear about what being beautiful means—being sexually appealing to men. And then, instead of snarling that male sexuality is evil, we need to accept that it's just different—far more visually-driven than female sexuality. To focus our efforts, we can turn to an increasing number of studies by evolutionary psychologists on what most men seem to want. For example, the University of Texas' Devendra Singh discovered that men, across cultures, are drawn to a woman with an hourglass figure. Men like to see a wom an's waist—even on the larger ladies—so burn those muumuus, which only reveal your girlish figure in a Category 5 hurricane, and if you don't have much of a waist, do your best to give yourself one with the cut of your clothes or a belt.

Female Silouhette 2

Too many women try to get away with a bait-and-switch approach to appearance upkeep. If you spend three hours a day in the gym while you're dating a guy, don't think that you can walk down the aisle and say "I do...and, guess what...now I don't anymore!" A woman needs to come up with a workable routine for maintaining her looks throughout her lifetime and avoid rationalizing slacking off— while she's seeking a man and after she has one. Yeah, you might have to put five or ten extra minutes into prettying up just to hang around the house. And, sure, you might be more "comfortable" in big sloppy sweats, but how "comfortable" will you be if he leaves you for a woman who cares enough to look hot for him?

Like French women, we, too, need to understand that a healthy approach to beauty is neither pretending it's unnecessary or unimportant nor making it important beyond all else. By being honest about it, we help women make informed decisions about how much effort to put into their appearance—or accept the opportunity costs of going ungroomed. The truth is, like knowledge, beauty is power. So, ladies, read lots of books, develop your mind and your character, exercise the rights the heroes of the women's movement fought for us to have, and strive to become somebody who makes a difference in the world. And, pssst...while you're doing all of that, don't forget to wear lipgloss.

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An argument about beauty

essay on outer beauty

Susan Sontag has been a Fellow of the American Academy since 1993. Best known as a novelist and essayist – her books have been translated into thirty-two languages – she has also written stories and plays, written and directed movies, and worked as a theatre director in the United States and Europe. In 2000 she won the National Book Award for her novel In America , and in 2001 received the Jerusalem Prize for the body of her work. Last year, a new collection of essays, Where the Stress Falls , was published. Her next book, Regarding the Pain of Others , will appear in early 2003, and she is also writing another novel.

Responding at last, in April of 2002, to the scandal created by the revelation of innumerable cover-ups of sexually predatory priests, Pope John Paul II told the American cardinals summoned to the Vatican, “A great work of art may be blemished, but its beauty remains; and this is a truth which any intellectually honest critic will recognize.”

Is it too odd that the Pope likens the Catholic Church to a great – that is, beautiful – work of art? Perhaps not, since the inane comparison allows him to turn abhorrent misdeeds into something like the scratches in the print of a silent film or craquelure covering the surface of an Old Master painting, blemishes that we reflexively screen out or see past. The Pope likes venerable ideas. And beauty, as a term signifying (like health) an indisputable excellence, has been a perennial resource in the issuing of peremptory evaluations.

Permanence, however, is not one of beauty’s more obvious attributes; and the contemplation of beauty, when it is expert, may be wreathed in pathos, the drama on which Shakespeare elaborates in many of the Sonnets. Traditional celebrations of beauty in Japan, like the annual rite of cherry-blossom viewing, are keenly elegiac; the most stirring beauty is the most evanescent. To make beauty in some sense imperishable required a lot of conceptual tinkering and transposing, but the idea was simply too alluring, too potent, to be squandered on the praise of superior embodiments. The aim was to multiply the notion, to allow for kinds of beauty, beauty with adjectives, arranged on a scale of ascending value and incorruptibility, with the metaphorized uses (‘intellectual beauty,’ ‘spiritual beauty’) taking precedence over what ordinary language extols as beautiful – a gladness to the senses.

The less ‘uplifting’ beauty of face and body remains the most commonly visited site of the beautiful. But one would hardly expect the Pope to invoke that sense of beauty while constructing an exculpatory account of several generations’ worth of the clergy’s sexual molestation of children and protection of the molesters. More to the point – his point – is the ‘higher’ beauty of art. However much art may seem to be a matter of surface and reception by the senses, it has generally been accorded an honorary citizenship in the domain of ‘inner’ (as opposed to ‘outer’) beauty. Beauty, it seems, is immutable, at least when incarnated – fixed – in the form of art, because it is in art that beauty as an idea, an eternal idea, is best embodied. Beauty (should you choose to use the word that way) is deep, not superficial; hidden, sometimes, rather than obvious; consoling, not troubling; indestructible, as in art, rather than ephemeral, as in nature. Beauty, the stipulatively uplifting kind, perdures.

The best theory of beauty is its history. Thinking about the history of beauty means focusing on its deployment in the hands of specific communities.

Communities dedicated by their leaders to stemming what is perceived as a noxious tide of innovative views have no interest in modifying the bulwark provided by the use of beauty as unexceptionable commendation and consolation. It is not surprising that John Paul II, and the preserve-and-conserve institution for which he speaks, feels as comfortable with beauty as with the idea of the good.

It also seems inevitable that when, almost a century ago, the most prestigious communities concerned with the fine arts dedicated themselves to drastic projects of innovation, beauty would turn up on the front line of notions to be discredited. Beauty could not but appear a conservative standard to the makers and proclaimers of the new; Gertrude Stein said that to call a work of art beautiful means that it is dead. Beautiful has come to mean ‘merely’ beautiful: there is no more vapid or philistine compliment.

Elsewhere, beauty still reigns, irrepressible. (How could it not?) When that notorious beauty-lover Oscar Wilde announced in The Decay of Lying , “Nobody of any real culture ever talks about the beauty of a sunset. Sunsets are quite old-fashioned,” sunsets reeled under the blow, then recovered. Les beaux-arts, when summoned to a similar call to be up-to-date, did not. The subtraction of beauty as a standard for art hardly signals a decline of the authority of beauty. Rather, it testifies to a decline in the belief that there is something called art.

Even when Beauty was an unquestioned criterion of value in the arts, it was defined laterally, by evoking some other quality that was supposed to be the essence or sine qua non of something that was beautiful. A definition of the beautiful was no more (or less) than a commendation of the beautiful. When, for example, Lessing equated beauty with harmony, he was offering another general idea of what is excellent or desirable.

In the absence of a definition in the strict sense, there was supposed to be an organ or capacity for registering beauty (that is, value) in the arts, called ‘taste,’ and a canon of works discerned by people of taste, seekers after more rarefied gratifications, adepts of connoisseurship. For in the arts – unlike life – beauty was not assumed to be necessarily apparent, evident, obvious.

The problem with taste was that, however much it resulted in periods of large agreement within communities of art lovers, it issued from private, immediate, and revocable responses to art. And the consensus, however firm, was never more than local. To address this defect, Kant – a dedicated universalizer – proposed a distinctive faculty of ‘judgment’ with discernable principles of a general and abiding kind; the tastes legislated by this faculty of judgment, if properly reflected upon, should be the possession of all. But ‘judgment’ did not have its intended effect of shoring up ‘taste’ or making it, in a certain sense, more democratic. For one thing, taste-as-principled- judgment was hard to apply, since it had the most tenuous connection with the actual works of art deemed incontestably great or beautiful, unlike the pliable, empirical criterion of taste. And taste is now a far weaker, more assailable notion than it was in the late eighteenth century. Whose taste? Or, more insolently, who sez?

As the relativistic stance in cultural matters pressed harder on the old assessments, definitions of beauty – descriptions of its essence – became emptier. Beauty could no longer be something as positive as harmony. For Valéry, the nature of beauty is that it cannot be defined; beauty is precisely ‘the ineffable.’

The failure of the notion of beauty reflects the discrediting of the prestige of judgment itself, as something that could conceivably be impartial or objective, not always self-serving or self-referring. It also reflects the discrediting of binary discourses in the arts. Beauty defines itself as the antithesis of the ugly. Obviously, you can’t say something is beautiful if you’re not willing to say something is ugly. But there are more and more taboos about calling something, anything, ugly. (For an explanation, look first not at the rise of so-called political correctness, but at the evolving ideology of consumerism, then at the complicity between these two.) The point is to find what is beautiful in what has not hitherto been regarded as beautiful (or: the beautiful in the ugly).

Similarly, there is more and more resistance to the idea of ‘good taste,’ that is, to the dichotomy good taste/bad taste, except for occasions that allow one to celebrate the defeat of snobbery and the triumph of what was once condescended to as bad taste. Today, good taste seems even more retrograde an idea than beauty. Austere, difficult ‘modernist’ art and literature have come to seem old-fashioned, a conspiracy of snobs. Innovation is relaxation now; today’s E-Z Art gives the green light to all. In the cultural climate favoring the more user-friendly art of recent years, the beautiful seems, if not obvious, then pretentious. Beauty continues to take a battering in what are called, absurdly, our culture wars.

That beauty applied to some things and not to others, that it was a principle of discrimination , was once its strength and appeal. Beauty belonged to the family of notions that establish rank, and accorded well with social order unapologetic about station, class, hierarchy, and the right to exclude.

What had been a virtue of the concept became its liability. Beauty, which once seemed vulnerable because it was too general, loose, porous, was revealed as – on the contrary – excluding too much. Discrimination, once a positive faculty (meaning refined judgment, high standards, fastidiousness), turned negative: it meant prejudice, bigotry, blindness to the virtues of what was not identical with oneself.

The strongest, most successful move against beauty was in the arts: beauty, and the caring about beauty, was restrictive; as the current idiom has it, elitist. Our appreciations, it was felt, could be so much more inclusive if we said that something, instead of being beautiful, was ‘interesting.’

Of course, when people said a work of art was interesting, this did not mean that they necessarily liked it – much less that they thought it beautiful. It usually meant no more than they thought they ought to like it. Or that they liked it, sort of, even though it wasn’t beautiful.

Or they might describe something as interesting to avoid the banality of calling it beautiful. Photography was the art where ‘the interesting’ first triumphed, and early on: the new, photographic way of seeing proposed everything as a potential subject for the camera. The beautiful could not have yielded such a range of subjects; and soon came to seem uncool to boot as a judgment. Of a photograph of a sunset, a beautiful sunset, anyone with minimal standards of verbal sophistication might well prefer to say, “Yes, the photograph is interesting.”

What is interesting? Mostly, what has not previously been thought beautiful (or good). The sick are interesting, as Nietzsche points out. The wicked, too. To name something as interesting implies challenging old orders of praise; such judgments aspire to be found insolent or at least ingenious. Connoisseurs of the interesting – whose antonym is the boring – appreciate clash, not harmony. Liberalism is boring, declares Carl Schmitt in The Concept of the Political , written in 1932 (the following year he joined the Nazi Party). A politics conducted according to liberal principles lacks drama, flavor, conflict, while strong autocratic politics – and war – are interesting.

Long use of ‘the interesting’ as a criterion of value has, inevitably, weakened its transgressive bite. What is left of the old insolence lies mainly in its disdain for the consequences of actions and of judgments. As for the truthfulness of the ascription – that does not even enter the story. One calls something interesting precisely so as not to have to commit to a judgment of beauty (or of goodness). The interesting is now mainly a consumerist concept, bent on enlarging its domain: the more things that become interesting, the more the marketplace grows. The boring – understood as an absence, an emptiness – implies its antidote: the promiscuous, empty affirmations of the interesting. It is a peculiarly inconclusive way of experiencing reality.

In order to enrich this deprived take on our experiences, one would have to acknowledge a full notion of boredom: depression, rage (suppressed despair). Then one could work toward a full notion of the interesting. But that quality of experience – of feeling – one would probably no longer even want to call interesting.

Beauty can illustrate an ideal; a perfection. Or, because of its identification with women (more accurately, with Woman), it can trigger the usual ambivalence that stems from the age-old denigration of the feminine. Much of the discrediting of beauty needs to be understood as a result of the gender inflection. Misogyny, too, might underlie the urge to metaphorize beauty, thereby promoting it out of the realm of the ‘merely’ feminine, the unserious, the specious. For if women are worshiped because they are beautiful, they are condescended to for their preoccupation with making or keeping themselves beautiful. Beauty is theatrical, it is for being looked at and admired; and the word is as likely to suggest the beauty industry (beauty magazines, beauty parlors, beauty products) – the theatre of feminine frivolity – as the beauties of art and of nature. How else to explain the association of beauty – i.e., women – with mindlessness? To be concerned with one’s own beauty is to risk the charge of narcissism and frivolity. Consider all the beauty synonyms, starting with the ‘lovely,’ the merely ‘pretty,’ which cry out for a virile transposition.

“Handsome is as handsome does.” (But not: “Beautiful is as beautiful does.”) Though it applies no less than does ‘beautiful’ to appearance, ‘handsome’ – free of associations with the feminine – seems a more sober, less gushing way of commending. Beauty is not ordinarily associated with gravitas. Thus one might prefer to call the vehicle for delivering searing images of war and atrocity a ‘handsome book,’ as I did in the preface to a recent compilation of photographs by Don McCullin, lest calling it a ‘beautiful book’ (which it was) would seem an affront to its appalling subject.

It’s usually assumed that beauty is, almost tautologically, an ‘aesthetic’ category, which puts it, according to many, on a collision course with the ethical. But beauty, even beauty in the amoral mode, is never naked. And the ascription of beauty is never unmixed with moral values. Far from the aesthetic and the ethical being poles apart, as Kierkegaard and Tolstoy insisted, the aesthetic is itself a quasi-moral project. Arguments about beauty since Plato are stocked with questions about the proper relation to the beautiful (the irresistibly, enthrallingly beautiful), which is thought to flow from the nature of beauty itself.

The perennial tendency to make of beauty itself a binary concept, to split it up into ‘inner’ and ‘outer,’ ‘higher’ and ‘lower’ beauty, is the usual way that judgments of the beautiful are colonized by moral judgments. From a Nietzschean (or Wildean) point of view, this may be improper, but it seems to me unavoidable. And the wisdom that becomes available over a deep, lifelong engagement with the aesthetic cannot, I venture to say, be duplicated by any other kind of seriousness. Indeed, the various definitions of beauty come at least as close to a plausible characterization of virtue, and of a fuller humanity, as the attempts to define goodness as such.

Beauty is part of the history of idealizing, which is itself part of the history of consolation. But beauty may not always console. The beauty of face and figure torments, subjugates; that beauty is imperious. The beauty that is human, and the beauty that is made (art) – both raise the fantasy of possession. Our model of the disinterested comes from the beauty of nature – a nature that is distant, overarching, unpossessable.

From a letter written by a German soldier standing guard in the Russian winter in late December of 1942: “The most beautiful Christmas I had ever seen, made entirely of disinterested emotions and stripped of all tawdry trimmings. I was all alone beneath an enormous starred sky, and I can remember a tear running down my frozen cheek, a tear neither of pain nor of joy but of emotion created by intense experience. . . .” 1

Unlike beauty, often fragile and impermanent, the capacity to be overwhelmed by the beautiful is astonishingly sturdy and survives amidst the harshest distractions. Even war, even the prospect of certain death, cannot expunge it.

The beauty of art is better, ‘higher,’ according to Hegel, than the beauty of nature because it is made by human beings and is the work of the spirit. But the discerning of beauty in nature is also the result of traditions of consciousness, and of culture – in Hegel’s language, of spirit.

The responses to beauty in art and to beauty in nature are interdependent. As Wilde pointed out, art does more than school us on how and what to appreciate in nature. (He was thinking of poetry and painting. Today the standards of beauty in nature are largely set by photography.) What is beautiful reminds us of nature as such – of what lies beyond the human and the made – and thereby stimulates and deepens our sense of the sheer spread and fullness of reality, inanimate as well as pulsing, that surrounds us all.

A happy by-product of this insight, if insight it is: beauty regains its solidity, its inevitability, as a judgment needed to make sense of a large portion of one’s energies, affinities, and admirations; and the usurping notions appear ludicrous.

Imagine saying, “That sunset is interesting.”

  • 1 Quoted in Stephen G. Fritz, Frontsoldaten: The German Soldier in World War II (Lexington, Ky.: University Press of Kentucky, 1995), 130.

On beauty (2002)

The 5 Minute Reset

Outer Beauty vs. Inner Beauty: We Have it Backwards

By Dr. Carol Morgan is the owner of HerSideHisSide.com , a communication professor, dating & relationship coach, TV personality, speaker, and author.

essay on outer beauty

If you ask most people what they find beautiful about a person, many of them will probably begin to describe someone’s physical characteristics. It usually goes something like this: “I like big eyes, long hair, muscles, and a nice butt....” Rarely do you hear someone reply, “What makes someone beautiful to me is their generosity, courage, kindness, and sense of humor.”

As a professor, one of the classes I teach is gender communication. And that doesn’t just mean how men and women communicate differently - or even just tips for how to get along with the opposite sex. Yes, it does include that. But what I also teach is how our society (especially messages from the media) help create and perpetuate gender ideals. In other words, we all get messages about what it’s like to be the “perfect woman” or the “perfect man.”

When I ask my students, “What is the gender ideal for a woman,” they usually start with physical appearance as well. Some other top non-physical qualities mentioned are: nurturing, emotional, polite, and submissive. As for the male gender ideals, I usually get: strong, athletic, competitive, and unemotional. It’s not very common for the physical characteristics (other than strong) to be mentioned for the males, but it’s always one of the first for females. That’s not to say that males don’t have physical ideals to live up to, but society seems to be kinder to men if they don’t exactly live up to these ideals. You even see it on TV in shows such as King of Queens or According to Jim. The male leads are average-looking, middle-aged men. In contrast, their wives appear younger and more attractive than they are.

In an era of TV shows such as these, along with the kinds about plastic surgery, it’s no wonder that so many people are seeking out ways to “fix” their outer selves. For example, since Keeping Up with the Kardashians debuted, some people are even getting Brazilian butt lifts so they can look like Kim Kardshian. Sure, it might seem like it’s a good thing to do if you have the money (well, maybe). But what people don’t take into consideration is the risks they are taking just to live up to society’s standards of beauty.

It’s also important to point out that beauty ideals have changed throughout time. As illustrated in this video , you can see how wildly different every era’s gender ideals have been for women. For example, during the Italian Renaissance and Victorian England, the perfect woman was slightly overweight and had very pale skin (kind of makes me wish I lived during those times - ha). So, there are no objective or consistent measures of beauty - even though there is scientific research that has actually tried to objectively define beauty. But in reality, it’s all what a culture socially agrees upon as perfect definition of “beauty.” There are even many different beauty standards across the world today - even for men .

So that leads me to ask the question: when and why as human beings are we so obsessed with outer beauty? Why do we value it above inner beauty?

Or, in my opinion, why do we have it all backwards?

I am sure the answer goes back to how our DNA is programmed. Humans instinctively look for the best mate in order to pass down their genes to the next generation. But isn’t it sad that we are still letting biological programming dictate our conceptualization of beauty? It seems like would should have somehow evolved past that. But clearly we haven’t. And it seems like it’s worse than ever.

I have known many physically beautiful people who I didn’t like, because on the inside they were anything but pretty. And conversely, I’ve known some not-so-physically beautiful people who were such amazing people on the inside that you didn’t even see their “imperfections.” I’m sure you have too.

But if you look at what’s going on with people - especially young people - many of them would prefer to be in the “in crowd” with the “popular and beautiful people” - if they are allowed in. However, sometimes those people aren’t even that nice. You hear stories about how some girls get “let in” to a popular clique, and then they dump their nicer friends who they have known all their lives. Those stories aren’t rare, unfortunately. It happens a lot.

Recently, I saw a post on Facebook where someone said that she focuses on someone’s inner beauty. Sounds great. But the ironic thing about that post was that the person who wrote it has done some pretty horrible things to her loved ones. And, she happens to be a physically beautiful person. It just got me to realize that she didn’t realize that her inner self could use a “face lift.” And that it was an important thing to do so. She should take a look in the metaphorical mirror at who she really is and how her negative behavior has hurt so many people. It’s sad. But I don’t think she’s the only one. Many people are unaware of their inner selves, and more aware of their outer selves (physical appearance).

So, my wish for you is for you to stop worrying about your outer beauty so much. I know the saying goes, “Beauty fades.” But I think that’s a horrible statement. I prefer “Beauty changes.” Once beautiful, always beautiful. And once you have inner beauty, that is one thing that will never change. Instead of worrying about the wrinkles on your face or the cellulite on our thighs, think about how you can be kinder and gentler. Think about how you can leave your mark on this world in a positive way.

Because that’s what REALLY matters.

#cleanbeauty #innerbeauty #drcarolmorgan

All posts are intended strictly for educational purposes. It is not intended to make any representations or warranties about the outcome of any product/service.

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Inner Beauty vs Outer Beauty

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Inner Beauty vs Outer Beauty

Inner Beauty vs. Outer Beauty, which one is more important? is an ongoing debate. To me, both are important in life. However, if you want to choose only one between these two, I will stick with the inner beauty. Outer beauty is nothing but the beauty of skin, and the inner beauty is the purity of soul.Once Kate Angell, the author of Richmond Rogues said, “Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.” If you ask me, why inner beauty is more important than outer beauty, my simple answer is outer beauty may fade out but inner beauty last as long as you are alive.

Table of Contents

Bible Verses On Inner Beauty

What does the Bible say about Inner and outer beauty?   Bible is in favor of inner beauty. If you read the Bible Versus given below, It will be clear to you-

1 Timothy 4:8

Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.

1 Peter 3:3-4

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

2 Corinthians 4:16

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self his being renewed day by day.

Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.

Psalms 45:11

and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.

Ezekiel 28:17

Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.

1 Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Inner Beauty vs. Outer Beauty:

Here is my explanation why inner beauty is more important than outer beauty-

What is Outer Beauty:

Outer beauty, which I prefer to call external beauty; is a physical beauty that plays an important part in attracting people towards you. As it is external, it’s what everybody sees, even from far.

What is Inner Beauty:

Inner beauty or internal beauty is beauty in us that people from afar do not see. Those close to we appreciate it and it’s what makes people long to be with us. It’s soulful.

Secret of Happy Life:

As we live in this world, many people spend most their time looking in the mirror, Tuning and fine tuning their faces and their looks until they think they look splendid and acceptable. People spend lots of money just to look good. I have nothing against this. Actually, I like people who take great care of themselves and their looks.

Even with great looks, some people are still lonely; they find themselves with no friends. Their friendships don’t last that long. They wonder if they are cursed or not; maybe an old little evil witch has cast a spell on them.

Some people don’t have great looks, but millions of people adore them. They live fulfilling lives and are happy, and this is what every human being seeks. It makes some people wonder why inner beauty is more important than outer beauty.

It Defines Who You Are:

Inner beauty is by far important than outer beauty because it extends beyond the inside. Inner beauty defines who you are, outer beauty, defines what you look like and who is attracted to it.

Inner beauty goes beyond the looks. It’s what radiates from you. It’s about the message you convey to people. It’s about what you think and feels about yourself. It is not limited to the eye only; it’s what gives that emotional and intellectual connection to the outside world.

Inner beauty is associated with having a great personality and character. True beauty starts from inside. It begins by appreciating who you are. Even those who with great outer beauty, if they have no inner beauty, then their beauty goes to waste. Beauty is one’s perspective of themselves portrayed to the outside world. Without any form of inner beauty and believing in yourself, outer beauty has no significance in one’s life.

It brings out the best in you. It makes you confident in yourself and the world around you. It causes you to search and find the best in humanity. You do not only live for yourself, but also for the common good of everybody around you.

Outer beauty is equally important as well; it is not meant to be overlooked. Outer beauty represents the lengths people are prepared to go to look good. It physically brings out the best side of humans.

In general, outer beauty attracts people to ourselves and inner beauty keeps those people coming back to you. Unless if you are a model and get paid to look and stay beautiful, then you have no use for inner beauty. Though outer beauty may get you a nice seat at a poker table or free ride to work, it can’t guarantee you that your second cousin your in-laws will share a turkey with you at dinner table come Thanksgiving holiday.

Secret of Natural Relationship:

Inner beauty keeps your friendships and relationships going. People fall in love with your inner beauty. People generally admire it.

Outer beauty intimates most people. These externally beautiful people are considered to be rude and impolite, which may or may not be true. It is important to note that some are gifted with both inner and outer beauty. They are everybody’s favorite.

When it comes to relationships, people fall in love with physically beautiful people whom they “show” around like trophies, but are not ready to keep them. A few people are secure being with them.

Many people like associating and sharing lives with inner beautiful people because they are friendly and great to be around. Beautiful people don’t only wait to be complimented; they feel it inside. You are not beautiful for other people to envy you, but you should be beautiful to feel great about yourself. Beauty lies inside all of us, whether great or small.

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Inner Or Outer Beauty Essay: What Is More Important?

During the history of mankind the image of beautiful person (man and woman) was constantly changing. Even 50 years ago people had other view on what appearance person should have to be considered beautiful. So many poets and writers glorified the human beauty. However, people usually talk about external or outer beauty. But what about internal beauty? We decided to write not just essay on beauty, but to make it inner beauty essay. So, read and enjoy.

Inner beauty of a human or external: what is more important?

Inner beauty of a human or external: what to choose?

We used to think that human beauty hides in the eyes. However, something that one considers beautiful other person may consider ugly. You can look for the beauty inside in the way how a person presents the beauty aura. It is not important how much beautiful a person is, it is important how much naturally he carries the aura of beauty. The beauty is in the kindness that is a part of the aura, in peaceful nature, in a certain confidence and inner calmness. Faces with the absolute accuracy of the features, beautiful appearance can be egoistic, haughty, fussy or arrogant; they often want to show their superiority over others. Such a superficial beauty will not last forever. People grow old and external features fade away.

Time changes us as physically as internally, we do not have the same appearance during our lifetime. At the same time inner beauty will last forever. Superficial beauty can not make deep impression, and those who aim to get beautiful face and perfect body with the help of Botox injections and other wonders of surgery will hardly get wide recognition and respect.

However, most people will prefer to talk to a person who has attractive appearance, because we all are attracted by something beautiful. Later, when you understand that a person is not what you expect, that you take his / hers appearance for the essence, you may be very disappointed. Having looked deeper, you will discover an empty shell instead of beauty. You will understand how much important it is to have beauty inside and how much seldom you can meet people who have inner and external beauty at the same time.

The inner beauty of a person

Internal human beauty is presented naturally and unpretentious. Probably, it may have not ideal look, but it seems to be coming from a man when he / she smiles, from the manner of speech and treat others with kindness and tenderness. You understand how much beautiful this person is, and definitely you will prefer inner beauty to external. A person with beautiful soul shines brighter than beautiful face with emptiness inside. In such a way, inner beauty of a person is much more important than superficial external beauty, and also we can keep it for the whole life.

What about appearance?

Nevertheless, the researches show that people who have attractive appearance get work more often, especially if the interviewer also considers them attractive. The same researches prove that pupils like more teachers with attractive appearance, and think that they are more intelligent and more professional than others. It is well known that children react positively to attractive faces. Is it possible to disagree with that?

It turns out that if we want “political correctness”, we will repeat again and again that beauty is inside us. But! The world is cruel and if you want harsh and “naked” truth, than you should know that modern society often perceives beauty as something external only, as accuracy of features and respectable appearance.

So let’s be honest and realistic

Billions and billions of dollars spent each year on means that should make our appearance better. Much more than money spent on books, theatres and museums, for example. It means that “beauty” of the real world is outside, not inside. Think about it: those who suffer from extreme obesity seem attractive to you? Do you think they have rich spiritual world? Of course, we can not judge without knowing them closer, but one thing is obvious: their appearance pushes you away. Why? Because people, especially women, are very critical about appearance of each other. Besides, people who do not like their body usually have lack of self-respect.

Beauty of physical look does not mean that someone is better than others. The conception of ideal beauty is built on the age-old competition and desire to create visual attractiveness as a means of competition. The reason for this is in biology.

Of course, physical beauty is important, but fortunately it is not the only thing that a person can give to the world. For the most powerful people, who take decisions, physical features are less essential than such trait as charisma, intelligence, confidence and sense of purpose, which are also elements of inner beauty . Perfect skin and face features are not life-determining things for them. But let’s face the truth, each politician, for example, tends to look attractive and is ready to spend large sums of money on the image-makers and stylists, and they also recourse to plastic surgery.

It is difficult to be honest and say “yes”, outer beauty plays great role because it is not available for everyone. Not everyone was blessed by good genetics, but this is life and we all have to play according to its rules. Sure, outer beauty is a great gift, but what is important is how person decides to use the physical features, can he or she become successful using appearance.

There are people who say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. It sounds great. But everyone knows that the beauty issue concerns women more. Women’s self-esteem is completely connected to their appearance and attractiveness. Unfortunately, women judge more strictly the attractiveness than men. This is not fair, but this is life.

So, beauty is a harmonious whole that brings moral and aesthetic pleasure. Inner beauty of a person is visible from the outside and it makes the person look beautiful. The most important thing is the harmony of body and soul, the inner beauty of a person should be combined with external beauty. Learn how to combine them in yourself and you will be really happy man.

The unity of inner and outer beauty of a man

Our notions of the ideal of beauty are embodied in outer beauty. External beauty is not only anthropological perfection of all the body elements, it is not only the health. It is inner spirituality: rich world of the thoughts and feelings, moral dignity, respect for others and self-respect and so on. The higher moral development and the overall level of human spiritual culture is, the brighter rich spiritual world reflects in external features. In simple words, inner beauty is reflected in the appearance.

There is nothing ashamed in the fact that person wants to be beautiful, to look nice. Outer beauty has its inner moral sources. When a person is engaged with something he likes to do, he looks more attractive, it seems that he has inner light that males him beautiful. Favorite work makes a person beautiful, transforms facial features, and makes them thin and expressive.

If inner spiritual wealth forms human beauty, then inactivity and immoral activities destroy the beauty.

Immoral activities disfigure. A person who has the habit to lie, dissemble, rant avoids looking into the eyes of others, it is hard to see a thought inside his eyes, he hides it. Jealousy, selfishness, suspicion, fear that “people will not appreciate me” – all these feelings gradually coarsen facial features, make them sullen, unsociable. Be yourself, cherish your dignity, because this is the source of the real human beauty.

The ideal of human beauty is the moral ideal at the same time. The unity of physical, moral, aesthetic perfection is the harmony that people seek for.

There are so many essays on beauty already written, but I hope in this beauty essay we managed to transfer the main idea that beauty has two sides, external and internal, and these two elements should not exist separately. There always should be unity of inner and outer beauty.

If you like this essay, visit Puressay.com . There you will find many interesting essays on various topics, and also if you face difficulties in essay writing , our supportive team is always there to help you.

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Essays About Beauty: Top 5 Examples and 10 Prompts

Writing essays about beauty is complicated because of this topic’s breadth. See our examples and prompts to you write your next essay.

Beauty is short for beautiful and refers to the features that make something pleasant to look at. This includes landscapes like mountain ranges and plains, natural phenomena like sunsets and aurora borealis, and art pieces such as paintings and sculptures. However, beauty is commonly attached to an individual’s appearance,  fashion, or cosmetics style, which appeals to aesthetical concepts. Because people’s views and ideas about beauty constantly change , there are always new things to know and talk about.

Below are five great essays that define beauty differently. Consider these examples as inspiration to come up with a topic to write about.

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1. Essay On Beauty – Promise Of Happiness By Shivi Rawat

2. defining beauty by wilbert houston, 3. long essay on beauty definition by prasanna, 4. creative writing: beauty essay by writer jill, 5. modern idea of beauty by anonymous on papersowl, 1. what is beauty: an argumentative essay, 2. the beauty around us, 3. children and beauty pageants, 4. beauty and social media, 5. beauty products and treatments: pros and cons, 6. men and makeup, 7. beauty and botched cosmetic surgeries, 8. is beauty a necessity, 9. physical and inner beauty, 10. review of books or films about beauty.

“In short, appreciation of beauty is a key factor in the achievement of happiness, adds a zest to living positively and makes the earth a more cheerful place to live in.”

Rawat defines beauty through the words of famous authors, ancient sayings, and historical personalities. He believes that beauty depends on the one who perceives it. What others perceive as beautiful may be different for others. Rawat adds that beauty makes people excited about being alive.

“No one’s definition of beauty is wrong. However, it does exist and can be seen with the eyes and felt with the heart.”

Check out these essays about best friends .

Houston’s essay starts with the author pointing out that some people see beauty and think it’s unattainable and non-existent. Next, he considers how beauty’s definition is ever-changing and versatile. In the next section of his piece, he discusses individuals’ varying opinions on the two forms of beauty: outer and inner. 

At the end of the essay, the author admits that beauty has no exact definition, and people don’t see it the same way. However, he argues that one’s feelings matter regarding discerning beauty. Therefore, no matter what definition you believe in, no one has the right to say you’re wrong if you think and feel beautiful.

“The characteristic held by the objects which are termed “beautiful” must give pleasure to the ones perceiving it. Since pleasure and satisfaction are two very subjective concepts, beauty has one of the vaguest definitions.”

Instead of providing different definitions, Prasanna focuses on how the concept of beauty has changed over time. She further delves into other beauty requirements to show how they evolved. In our current day, she explains that many defy beauty standards, and thinking “everyone is beautiful” is now the new norm.

“…beauty has stolen the eye of today’s youth. Gone are the days where a person’s inner beauty accounted for so much more then his/her outer beauty.”

This short essay discusses how people’s perception of beauty today heavily relies on physical appearance rather than inner beauty. However, Jill believes that beauty is all about acceptance. Sadly, this notion is unpopular because nowadays, something or someone’s beauty depends on how many people agree with its pleasant outer appearance. In the end, she urges people to stop looking at the false beauty seen in magazines and take a deeper look at what true beauty is.

“The modern idea of beauty is taking a sole purpose in everyday life. Achieving beautiful is not surgically fixing yourself to be beautiful, and tattoos may have a strong meaning behind them that makes them beautiful.”

Beauty in modern times has two sides: physical appearance and personality. The author also defines beauty by using famous statements like “a woman’s beauty is seen in her eyes because that’s the door to her heart where love resides” by Audrey Hepburn. The author also tackles the issue of how physical appearance can be the reason for bullying, cosmetic surgeries, and tattoos as a way for people to express their feelings.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about fashion .

10 Helpful Prompts To Use in Writing Essays About Beauty

If you’re still struggling to know where to start, here are ten exciting and easy prompts for your essay writing:

While defining beauty is not easy, it’s a common essay topic. First, share what you think beauty means. Then, explore and gather ideas and facts about the subject and convince your readers by providing evidence to support your argument.

If you’re unfamiliar with this essay type, see our guide on how to write an argumentative essay .

Beauty doesn’t have to be grand. For this prompt, center your essay on small beautiful things everyone can relate to. They can be tangible such as birds singing or flowers lining the street. They can also be the beauty of life itself. Finally, add why you think these things manifest beauty.

Little girls and boys participating in beauty pageants or modeling contests aren’t unusual. But should it be common? Is it beneficial for a child to participate in these competitions and be exposed to cosmetic products or procedures at a young age? Use this prompt to share your opinion about the issue and list the pros and cons of child beauty pageants.

Essays About Beauty: Beauty and social media

Today, social media is the principal dictator of beauty standards. This prompt lets you discuss the unrealistic beauty and body shape promoted by brands and influencers on social networking sites. Next, explain these unrealistic beauty standards and how they are normalized. Finally, include their effects on children and teens.

Countless beauty products and treatments crowd the market today. What products do you use and why? Do you think these products’ marketing is deceitful? Are they selling the idea of beauty no one can attain without surgeries? Choose popular brands and write down their benefits, issues, and adverse effects on users.

Although many countries accept men wearing makeup, some conservative regions such as Asia still see it as taboo. Explain their rationale on why these regions don’t think men should wear makeup. Then, delve into what makeup do for men. Does it work the same way it does for women? Include products that are made specifically for men.

There’s always something we want to improve regarding our physical appearance. One way to achieve such a goal is through surgeries. However, it’s a dangerous procedure with possible lifetime consequences. List known personalities who were pressured to take surgeries because of society’s idea of beauty but whose lives changed because of failed operations. Then, add your thoughts on having procedures yourself to have a “better” physique.

People like beautiful things. This explains why we are easily fascinated by exquisite artworks. But where do these aspirations come from? What is beauty’s role, and how important is it in a person’s life? Answer these questions in your essay for an engaging piece of writing.

Beauty has many definitions but has two major types. Discuss what is outer and inner beauty and give examples. Tell the reader which of these two types people today prefer to achieve and why. Research data and use opinions to back up your points for an interesting essay.

Many literary pieces and movies are about beauty. Pick one that made an impression on you and tell your readers why. One of the most popular books centered around beauty is Dave Hickey’s The Invisible Dragon , first published in 1993. What does the author want to prove and point out in writing this book, and what did you learn? Are the ideas in the book still relevant to today’s beauty standards? Answer these questions in your next essay for an exiting and engaging piece of writing.

Grammar is critical in writing. To ensure your essay is free of grammatical errors, check out our list of best essay checkers .

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Beauty — What Is Beauty: Inner and Physical

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What is Beauty: Inner and Physical

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Updated: 23 November, 2023

Words: 1078 | Page: 1 | 6 min read

Works Cited

  • Aristotle. (1999). Poetics. In R. McKeon (Ed.), The Basic Works of Aristotle (pp. 1453-1492). Modern Library.
  • Bordo, S. (1993). Unbearable Weight: Feminism, Western Culture, and the Body. University of California Press.
  • Eagan, D. J. (2017). The Social Psychology of Facial Appearance. Springer.
  • Etcoff, N. (2000). Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty. Anchor Books.
  • Kant, I. (2009). Critique of Judgment. Oxford University Press.
  • Nussbaum, M. C. (1995). Objectification. Philosophy & Public Affairs, 24(4), 249-291.
  • Platon. (2005). The Symposium. In S. R. Slings (Ed.), Plato Complete Works (pp. 461-512). Hackett Publishing Company.
  • Scruton, R. (2009). Beauty: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
  • Sontag, S. (1978). The Double Standard of Aging. Saturday Review, 5-7.
  • Wolf, N. (1991). The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used against Women. Harper Perennial.

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