No. 723 - IS BEAUTY OVER RATED?

No. 723

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
IS BEAUTY OVER RATED?

Here is an interesting question that I would like for you to ponder with me for a little while today. Is beauty over rated? From my perspective, the answer to this question is both yes and no, depending on what kind of beauty we are talking about, and also the source of that beauty.
The dictionary defines beauty as “The quality of objects, sounds, ideas, etc., that pleases and gratifies, as by their harmony, pattern, excellence or truth.” Another definition says that “beauty is one who or that which is beautiful, especially a woman.” Personally, I love to see objects or things that are beautiful and I also love to see people, especially women, who are beautiful.
Every so often someone sends me an e-mail that has scenes from nature that are just outstanding and truly beautiful. They are just breathtaking and you feel like you could just sit and look at them forever. In the grand scheme of things, God is the creator of all things, and all things beautiful. I can only imagine the beauty the astronauts must see as they look back at mother earth from such a lofty vantage point. To be sure, outward beauty is one thing, but there is also inner beauty, as in the case with human beings, that gives us great pleasure as we behold them. It is in the development of one’s “inner beauty” that holds the greatest promise for a truly rewarding life.
Our society today has come to almost deify beauty, especially one’s outer beauty that is resulting in a very shallow, superficial way of living and doing things. A good example happened at the Wimbledon 2009 tennis championships when the All England Club actually placed some players who were beautiful or more attractive on “Centre Court” over other players who were ranked much higher in the world standings. Here is a case where beauty won out over talent, hard work and persistence. Why do you think this happened? The answer of course is money, as they wanted a larger audience, both in person and from the massive television viewing audience, and they thought those with more beauty would provide it.
It’s been said that outer beauty is skin deep, but ugly goes all the way to the bone. The one consolation for many people who were not born with a beautiful appearance is that in time outer beauty fades, while inner beauty will last even beyond the grave in the hearts and minds of those whose lives they touched. Other than the cosmetic enhancement, and there are billions of dollars spent each year on that, an individual really has no control over whether they are beautiful or homely. They are simply the by-product of their parents and a gene pool that goes back thousands of years. To me it makes sense to cultivate inner beauty, regardless of one’s outward physical appearance. Simple kindness goes a long way.
Now, back to my earlier question: is beauty over rated? While your answer may be different than mine, when it comes to human beings, I believe that a person’s attitude plays a large part in whether natural physical beauty is an asset or a liability for them. A person with outstanding physical beauty but who has a haughty, “I’m better looking than you” attitude, is only kidding themselves, because in time that beauty will fade and be a thing of the past. A person, especially an attractive lady, with less natural beauty that develops a great attitude of caring and helping others, will go much further in life. Regardless of our looks, we should all stay away from ungodly pursuits and activities, because they have no future at all.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit www.bookcaseforeverychild.com. You won’t go wrong helping a needy child.)