Inner Beauty

Photo Credit: statelinesptgds.com

Today, it seems to be harder than ever to find a person who will take the time to get to know someone simply for their personality. Appearances are valued far more than personal qualities are. I could go on and on about how this is so prominent in society, but I think most readers know this, and could relate firsthand to this issue. Instead, I am going to focus on how this issue affects many of us.
In Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, the Phantom is shunned by the world because of his disfigured face. In the musical, the Phantom comes to love Christine, a young girl in the opera house. She is the one of the only people who can see him and love him for who he is.

Inner beauty is often something that is overlooked, in both men and women. When people are faced with the idea that they are judged for relationships only by their appearance, their outlooks become desolate and hopeless. Those thoughts grind on their self-esteem and self-confidence. We often don't see a person's inner beauty until we take a step to get to know them. Society has become so glued to technology and interpersonal interactions are not nearly as common as they were in past decades. The best way to get to know a person is to talk to them - not over the phone - but face to face. Communication is such an important skill, and I feel like many people don't have the face to face communication skills they need.

Inner beauty is centered around the value of the person. In today's sexualized culture, "beauty" is centered around the value of the body. There is a major difference. Our personalities make us unique. By society's generalization of "beauty" fits men and women into narrow categories that are harmful. It tells a woman that she must be a certain size to be beautiful, and men must be powerful and have well-sculpted bodies, otherwise they will be undesirable. 

We as people must find ways to counteract the negative and derogatory messages that the media presents. It is up to us to demand media that does not contain sexualized images and false standards of beauty. 

Our individuality makes us beautiful and attractive. There is not one other person in the world exactly like who we are. Our inner beauty is most visible when we are ourselves.