Humans are beauty-conscious, and this definition of beauty differs from individual to individual. We all (or most of us) love to see beautiful things around us and also appreciate their presence. The definition of beauty changes drastically from person to person, and I think that's why it's said that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Therefore, one thing is clear: beauty is a human-made concept like morality or religion, etc. It's different for different people; it depends on how you look at things, what your perspective is, and how you relate to the things you are looking at. There is no standard definition for beauty; one can say that whatever appeals or pleases your mind is beautiful for you.
Today, I see obsession in females about size zero figures, high heels, and many other things that are supposed to make them look beautiful. The same thing is true with men who want waxed bodies, looking like those Greek statues. To cater to this mentality, there are almost racial advertisements selling fairness cream that try to say that having fair skin means being more beautiful compared to dark skin. Nothing wrong with being fashion-conscious or having a desire to look beautiful, but it's a problem when you stereotype the term 'beautiful' and pressure people to fit in that description. All this so-called glamour and aggressive advertisement on the internet and television has changed the concept of physical beauty totally. Females are starving themselves to look thin, boys are taking steroids to look muscular, and high heels, to a certain extent, are okay, but if you look at some of the high heels girls wear nowadays, it's impossible to imagine standing after wearing them. I wonder how people walk after wearing them. Our definition and conception of beauty are heavily conditioned and influenced by the images we see on posters, magazines, advertisements, and movies. We only think a particular body shape, color, or height is beautiful; all other is substandard and should be altered by whatever means possible to match those so-called standards to qualify as beautiful. Even if we look at the images of most gods and goddesses in India, they never look old; they are all in so-called perfect physical shape and are visibly attractive.
Everyone has to find their own comfort zone, where they are fine with their weight and looks. It should be a healthy weight range; it should not be 20 kg above or below the recommended body weight for a person's height and age. The concept of fair skin being more beautiful than dark is so ridiculous and racist. I hope many people who think like this get over their extreme obsession with fair skin; it really sucks. Many girls in India or in some Asian countries suffer just because of their skin color. They fail to get a proper match in the marriage market. A fair-skinned groom fetches a better price in the same market compared to a dark-skinned groom just because of his skin color. Apart from the dowry problem, there is inherent racism involved in such match-making exercises.
Beauty indeed lies in the eyes of the beholder, but some companies and their allies are trying to prejudice the vision of that beholder, and they are getting quite successful in this. I feel that's not right. For me, everyone is beautiful physically, and I have not seen an ugly person in my life.
Thanks for reading, and please share your views.
(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)
(Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing)
