There are three magical words which have defined some of the most prized moments of human history. They have been at the nub of some of the biggest battles, some of the uncanniest contentions or the subject of the most ubiquitous desire in Almighty’s most prized creation- human beings. The three magical words aren’t every lover’s karaoke song “I Love You” but instead the three cornerstones of every civilization, the mitochondria of the most defining emotions. They are – Beauty, Power and Money.
Considering the fact that we live in a world where we are taught virtues from the time we leave our prams, it is highly ironical that the virtues are not ably reflected or rather absorbed by our wisdom. Call it lack of egalitarianism on the part of God to spread wisdom equitably or sheer ignorance (deliberate or undeliberate is something we won’t deliberate on) on the part of few, but what becomes a muse for some of the world’s finest creations holds an equally potent capacity to open the doors of destruction for Satan to come and impart his blitzkrieg.
Beauty is one such potion that has inspired the most gifted artists to come up with their best works and at the same time has led barbarians to annihilate lives. Is it pure hedonism or sheer lack of character that allures people to physical beauty, making them nonchalant to everything else in the world?
What persuaded Dorian Gray to sell his soul just to retain his nonpareil beauty forever? Can we really blame Lord Henry that his immoral influence led to the change of heart in Dorian Gray? Or was it just his innate desire, concocted with deep insecurity, which came out under the veil of hedonistic pleasures to bring out his true side?
The truth as a matter of fact is, whether we like it or not, there is a part of us which falls into the trap of this black hole. We do discard all such conjectures with able assertiveness calling them “Mediocre thoughts”, but the fact remains that we are part of this loop as well. What else could possibly explain the fact that in every movie the hero falls for the most beautiful girl of the group a.k.a the heroine? Doers he ever make even a remote attempt to find out how the other girls of her group might be like? Does he even care about the fact that her friend might be a much better person than the protagonist? Doesn’t the adage proudly engraved in the “We-are-the-real-lovers-“ rosy Lalaland about “Love at first sight” actually corroborate this whole hypothesis? What else draws a person otherwise in the “love at first sight” case if not the other person’s beauty ?
We live in a world where our face acts as the medium of our endorsement. It is a harsh truth to accept but that’s how it is. Even if I move away from the realms of personal relationships and move to a ground that is portrayed to be highly organized and meticulous, the situation changes as much as a dog’s twisted tail. We are unfortunately reaching a stage where being presentable may not be presentable enough. It has become a stark reality to witness the multiplier effect of the X-factor, a highly adorned but rarely understood concept, around us. Looking good is fast becoming one of the prerequisites, and if it continues this way then we may not be far enough from the day where the entire concept of a geeky look may become obsolete. Although it may lead to celebrations in a school of thought who apostle the theory, but does that mean that someone like Mr. Kalam would actually have to go to a beauty salon before a missile launch? Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder they say, but what if the eye lashes become overcritical to lash everyone around.
Face is meant to be a reflection of our thoughts. It is meant to be a mirror which displays the mirage of our thoughts without any bias. It is a book that only the privileged can read to absorb the thoughts running in a person’s mind. Not everyone has the acumen to read a face and gauge the mood of a person(unless you are a clairvoyant or the other person is an over dramatized wannabe performer).
It is the same face which is one of the biggest motivators for vanity. Vanity is a trait we all have ingrained deeply in our DNA. It is highly unrealistic to expect a person not to like himself/herself. Even people who are suffering from low self esteem do have their moments when they admire themselves. We all have a balloon called ego which craves to be inflated with airs about it. Compliment and attention are the favourite travel companions of ego whenever it decides to visit Vanity land. It is an equally flummoxing yet realistic truth that there is something about being praised of one’s looks that instills an unparalleled pride in a person.
Now some may argue that the trait rests more predominantly in the fairer sex compared to the male counterparts. Maybe it does, but it is difficult to segregate. It is more than apt to accept the fact that men are equally if not more stuck in this whirlpool. Although we all love to use our defence mechanism of modesty to confirm first whether it was a genuine compliment or sarcastic mockery, there is a certain feel good thing associated with the entire phenomenon. Human race is fascinated with physical beauty and would continue to do so.
The World has seen Gods/ Goddesses who are embodiments of beauty. Aphrodite, Venus, Hathor and even Lakshmi. They are revered and considered to be highly powerful in their own rights. The modern day cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic good manufacturers do strive hard to see their name in the list, but the destination still seems away from them. Maybe they need better subjects to deal with (No pun intended).
Beauty is a circe that does allure a person towards it and some of them may be turned to swine later on. But this is not the real danger. The real danger lies in the fundamental problem we all have. We have to accept this reality and move out of the comfort zone of our hypocrisy.
There is nothing wrong in being enamoured by it, where things may go horribly wrong is when you start questioning and discarding other characteristic traits by keeping this as the ultimate cornerstone.
