Nip/Tuck is one of my favourite dramas. Despite of the crazy family relations and absolutely mind-boggling sex lifes the drama potrays, it has good storylines and Julian McMahon is the icing on the cake =)
It has got me thinking about how the world views beauty: what is on the surface matters. I myself am undergoing treatment for acne, which I've suffered for the past 3 years. Pharmacies sell tons of beauty products and make-up, and plastic surgery is becoming more and more common. It is sad to say that this is how the world is always going to be: judging a book by its cover. Sure, motivational books and moral idealists tell us that inner beauty is the one that matters, and I'm sure it does. But humans always have the tendency to judge what's on the outside first, and then only look at one's personality. The Bible says that God looks not at the outward appearances, the beauty accessories or adornments, but rather at the heart and spirit.
I don't believe that beauty is a curse. It is good to be beautiful. It is a blessing. There is no evil in being bestowed physical beauty. I think beauty is a lot like money. It is not the commodity itself that is evil, but the love for it is. There's nothing wrong with being beautiful, but if that is all that one yearns for, then there is where the downhill turmoil starts. This is because of the God-ordained cycle of nature. We are born, we grow, we grow old, then we die. No amount of botox, chemical peels, face-lifts or lipo can reverse that cycle. We might look younger than our age, but a 60 year old man can never look the way he was when he was 20. It's impossible. I feel that a responsible and healthy lifestyle is more important. A good diet, exercise, correct use of pharmaceutical products and a little make-up can go a long way, enabling us to age gracefully and remain vibrant at the same time. Beauty is indeed a blessing, but only for a short while. It's only a loan, and it will be taken away. Like the rest of this earth, it doesn't last.
I've heard people saying that the world should value inner beauty more. And indeed they should. But I think that everyone will come to a point where they give up on being beautiful on the outside, no matter how much they love the look of youth. The question is WHEN. Some will realise it early, for else, it's the last few minutes of their lives. This is because despite being bombarded with the standards of beauty, all of us know deep within ourselves that it'll never last. Some will admit it willingly, some won't.
And as for myself, I'm no great beauty, no great ugly either. But I really want the bloody acne to go away. Argh.
Labels: musings
