Beauty and The Oldest Obsession

Beauty is in the shadow of the beholder,” as the saying goes. This may be true in terms of aesthetics and literature and poetry, but with a global beauty empire worth over $2 billion in sales each year, it can hardly be true today. Beauty, as the adage goes, is no longer in the mind of the beholder, but in the eye of an obsessive population that is never content with the degree or magnitude of the beauty, they see in the mirror. I have always believed true beauty comes from within, and yes, that is a cliché, and it also is an anachronism in today’s “beauty is best” society but I believe that inner beauty drives exterior beauty because inner beauty inspires confidence which is essential for external beauty to reach its zenith. There is some authoritative backing for what I state here. Fatović-Ferenčić et al. noted in their article “Beauty: Soul or Surface?” that both forms of beauty, inner and outer, are ideally connected and “spring from one another” (82). If both inner and outer beauty exist at the same time then the person is well-rounded and satisfied with their appearance and are not always on a quest to improve how they appear to the world. Even though making the best of your appearance can help in many ways, the preoccupation which some people demonstrate with their appearance is distracting them from the inner beauty or self-confidence that is needed for real self-satisfaction because the time and money which they spend on improving their outer beauty will ultimately be useless if not backed up by a solid foundation of inner beauty and confidence in one’s self.

The cosmetic surgery industry is just more proof of my point. People who strive for outer beauty without first achieving inner beauty are the ones who show up time after time at the plastic surgeon because they have discovered yet another flaw that they must get fixed to feel better about themselves. This is the root of the beauty industry around the world and the hunger for exceptional beauty fuels it and keeps it alive. Cosmetic surgery is a big part of the driving force in the beauty industry. Although there are cosmetic surgeons that truly care for their patients and try to advise them against unnecessary procedures, there are also the ones who see nothing but the dollar signs as each patient enters their front door. As Rhode points out, “A $200 billion global industry is heavily invested in fueling anxieties over appearance and a need for self-improvement” (68). This is particularly true with women who are constantly bombarded by advertising which tells them they’re too fat, too old, or too wrinkling and they need the help of this product or that product to attain the beauty they deserve. Rhode sums up the whole global quest for beauty very well when she states;

“Technological advances have expanded our opportunities, and media images are an ever-present reminder of the gap between our aspirations and achievements. Our appearance is in constant need of renovation, and our spiffed-up selves need a wide range of commercial assistance to keep them that way” (68).

As a woman, I am sure that Rhode understands better than men do about what is at stake for the women of the world regarding this issue.

The modern obsession with achieving external beauty is in direct contrast with the historical definition of beauty where, as Fatović-Ferenčić et al. point out, “beauty was conceived as the harmony of physical features of the body, of facial expression, stature, and general behavior” (82). There is also the historic definition of beauty which holds that beauty was an idyllic state signifying a balance of emotions, mental poise as well as physically satisfying appearance. This is the quality of beauty which I believe is lacking in today’s fixation with obtaining “perfect” appearance.

Another aspect of external beauty that is troubling is the overwhelming opinion of most people that someone who is attractive is somehow a better person than someone who does not exhibit the same characteristics of beauty. People who show some form of outward attractiveness or beauty are often preferred over those who do not and are judged to be of better character than others. Today, this is being manifested more and more in what is becoming known as “appearance discrimination” where people are being denied opportunities simply based on their appearance. Rhode notes, “Not only are the less attractive treated worse, their unfavorable treatment can erode self-esteem, self-confidence, and social skills, which compound their disadvantages” (27). This is definitely a troubling side effect of the global fixation with beauty which dominates many aspects of life today.

As I stated in the preceding essay, today’s overwhelming obsession with external beauty is becoming a real problem and is spreading far beyond being a personal problem. There is a problem that is being driven by the global beauty industry that needs to be addressed in order to curb the seemingly insatiable need for some to constantly upgrade their appearance. I believe, and will continue to believe that the ideal definition of beauty includes both inner and outer qualities which in tandem work to create the overall condition of beauty which is most desirable.



Works Cited

Fatović-Ferenčić, S., et al. "Beauty: Soul or Surface?" Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, vol. 2, no. 2, Apr. 2003, pp. 82-85. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/j.1473-2130.2004.00037. x.

Rhode, Deborah L. The Beauty Bias: The Injustice of Appearance in Life and Law. Oxford University Press, 2010. EBSCOhost, Accessed May 18, 2017.