Beauty- Skin Deep or Superficial?

Hi friends,

Is beauty really skin-deep? Or is it superficial? I know many have talked about this issue about beauty, and a lot of people talk about how inner beauty is more important and all. They tell us to not worry about the outer appearance and to look at the inside of a person. But I wonder, how can I look at a person’s inner beauty without having to look at the outer appearance?

This program called Extreme Makeover, which I saw on TV tonight, bugged me. The girl in question had an extremely long nose, horrible teeth and flat-less chest. Her mom had been telling her from day one that she is a beautiful person. This girl had her teeth straightened and whitened. She had breasts enlargements. Her nose was re-shaped and some of the excess skin was removed. She claimed at the end of the show that “now I feel beautiful!”

I hate to admit but sometimes, outer appearance makes all the difference. I mean, when you go for job interviews, your appearance is the first thing that will matter. Which is why it is important to dress smart and all. But this looking good thing has been happening since university days for me.

Being architecture students, we had to give presentations every single week and then two major ones at the end of the semester. Apart from the work we presented, looking good was something else that mattered. I can honestly say that those students who did not bother dressing smart did not get very positive reviews, and those who looked smart, got more praise than they deserved. Even I would wear contact lens and wear my finest clothes and shoes. Immediately, the jury would sit up and pay attention. To put this theory to test, I presented one of my midterm presentations in jeans, t-shirt and unshaven face and I was not taken seriously. (I could have done this test more times, but my grades were at stake! Lol!)

Looks do matter in the real world today. Your looks give the first impression to other people. It is a competitive world out there, and as much as I hate to say it, it’s the reality. But, a BIG BUT, looks are not the only thing that matter. Your intelligence also counts. If you have the looks, that’s an added bonus. At the end of the day, it is your intelligence that matters the most.

If you ask any girl out there, they will cite “good looks” as one of the top things they look for in a man. The guys would also say the same thing: “good looks.” There is nothing with that. The problem starts when the “good looks” are the only thing that matters, when it shouldn’t be that way. In fact, even in Islam, beauty is one of the criteria that a man or woman can look for in their potential spouse. So there is nothing wrong with saying that I want a beautiful wife or husband.

So what’s the answer? While I agree inner beauty/ intelligence is what matters ultimately, there is no denying that outer beauty also plays a big part in creating the first impression.

Mansur