In a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
The thing about beauty is it is incredibly subjective.
Which, honestly, is one of the incredibly freeing elements of this characteristic of humans. What I see as beautiful, is unique to me and my experiences, and has been shaped by my worldly influence.
That being said, one of the most frustrating aspects of beauty is the pressure that has been assigned to the act of being beautiful. It is equally influenced by society, class and culture. What is thought to be beautiful in America is not necessarily thought to be so in the country of Cambodia. And the value of beauty is view uniquely different even between males and females.
In the Women's Health magazine this month the editor talks about her own experience with beauty. She talks about the difference between "content" and "frame" and states, "how women would be happier with their mates if they focused more on the content and less on the frame of the men they date". Then, she says... "does the balance of time I spend on developing my own content (intelligence, compassion spirituality) reasonably exceed the time I spend on my frame (manicures, hair highlighting, derm visits)?
Kind of stops you in your tracks when you reflect on how you spend your free time... Is it spent on content or frame?
Where are the extra 5-10 pounds hiding this month?
My complexion is a contestant battle. Between sun damage and scars from horrendous acne in high school, I spend the most time finding ways to cover my skin in a way that appears "natural".
And then there is my knee... the scars and the skin graft.
Do I stop to appreciate beauty in this busy, broken world I live in? What do I see when I look at the woman sitting on the couch at the coffee shop? What is she actively portraying? What am I actively receiving? And how much of what I am receiving is based on my biases and experience?
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