(Guest post by Ivana Vitali)
As many words in our language,
“beauty” is often a misconceived term. We always associate it, maybe
indirectly, or maybe not, with the stereotype of physical perfection that
society imposes at the present: for example, a young slim angel-face girl. This
is the kind of model we see nowadays on T.V, magazines, ads, etc. However, this
stereotype is sure to change from time to time. Just think about this: in the
fifteenth century, upper-class women from the North of Europe would pluck their
hairline to make their foreheads look higher…yes, sounds painful…but can we say
it is a lot different from our waxing? Can we actually say it is more painful?
Can we say this is wrong without assuming that we do use invasive methods to
fit the stereotype?
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If you look up for the
word “beauty” on a Merriam Webster dictionary, the first entry you will find
is: “the quality or aggregate of
qualities in a person or thing that gives pleasure to the senses or pleasurably
exalts the mind or spirit”. According to this definition, beauty has
nothing to do with the outside. On the other hand, it comprises a set of
qualities that, as a whole, make the beautiful person that you are. Antiaging crams and dermalfillers are healthy, non-invasive solutions that allow our body to
complement our personality, and they should be the tools we use to take care of
our outside as we work on the inside.
As regards the
outside, it should reflect who we are inside, and this is the reason why we
need to take care of our skin, hair, clothes, etc. We are way past the rebel
stage on which we would try not to fit by wearing unconventional clothes. First
impressions are always important, and they can even be determinant in certain
moments like a job interview, a date, or any important occasion where we show
who we are. The way we dress, we walk, we talk, and etc. says a lot about
ourselves.
However, unlike what
teenagers think, “different” clothes won’t make us one of a kind. We are at a
stage where we should know that it is the inside is what makes us unique. The
outside must be taken care of, but for other purposes: we are mainly talking
about goodness, health, equilibrium. We need this balance between mind, body
and soul to grow up and develop ourselves as human beings of good. It is all
about harmony. A healthy body, mind, and soul, is what make a healthy human
being. We must feel good about ourselves, about our bodies, our capacities and
also be in peace spiritually. None of these aspects should be disregarded, and you
must always remember – You are beautiful!