Beauty can be seen as a multiplicity of things that no two people could ever truly agree
upon. It is an abstraction that prevails as a unique perception drawn upon in various ways. To some, beauty comes from the visual perception of an individual, to others beauty is what is perceived as what comes from the inside of an individual, but to many, beauty is an expression that allows countless individuals to carry out the most common phrase,“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Beauty is not a concept that can be taken lightly, it can be seen as an emotion, a reaction, a description, and most commonly a perception that is uniquely decided upon. The Oxford dictionary defines beauty as “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight”. However, beauty nowadays can be seen in a multitude of ways depending on several factors, such as culture, familiarity, comfortability, and most importantly connotation. Beauty is often misunderstood, distorted and shadowed by a wide amount of conflicting pressures and false imaging. For example, within the United States, we find our national standard of beauty within magazines, on television, and within stores. We have a unique cultural perception of beauty, that is far different than many around the world. Beauty is however something we endlessly strive for, rather than see within the true essence of our happiest moments that life offers us.
Much like the Oxford definition, an innumerable amount of people find that their very first thoughts of beauty relate to concepts of visually pleasing images/ connotations of subjects,
upon. It is an abstraction that prevails as a unique perception drawn upon in various ways. To some, beauty comes from the visual perception of an individual, to others beauty is what is perceived as what comes from the inside of an individual, but to many, beauty is an expression that allows countless individuals to carry out the most common phrase,“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Beauty is not a concept that can be taken lightly, it can be seen as an emotion, a reaction, a description, and most commonly a perception that is uniquely decided upon. The Oxford dictionary defines beauty as “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight”. However, beauty nowadays can be seen in a multitude of ways depending on several factors, such as culture, familiarity, comfortability, and most importantly connotation. Beauty is often misunderstood, distorted and shadowed by a wide amount of conflicting pressures and false imaging. For example, within the United States, we find our national standard of beauty within magazines, on television, and within stores. We have a unique cultural perception of beauty, that is far different than many around the world. Beauty is however something we endlessly strive for, rather than see within the true essence of our happiest moments that life offers us.
Much like the Oxford definition, an innumerable amount of people find that their very first thoughts of beauty relate to concepts of visually pleasing images/ connotations of subjects,
objects and or people. Since the beginning of time, beauty rarely ever began with thoughts of
inner beauty, the type of beauty that no one can ever truly find fault with. The beauty that
signifies oneself, the beauty that lays the foundation of who you are as a person. Evidently
visual perceptions of beauty have long been the common standard to what defines beauty and
what it entails, it also began the negative imaging that has caused a significant amount of
women to see themselves as something less than what they truly are. As seen in the Dove
women’s body image study in 2016, “Women are under many pressures to conform to beauty
ideals.....adding pressure to look a certain way” (News). Beauty is far greater than what the
eyes can see. The eyes only see the clear surface view of things. But the heart, mind, and soul
allows you to see the deeper meaning, the important aspects of a person, the real deep
meanings of who that person is behind the surface of what is being displayed to everyone who
walks by and only ever throws a glance. The eyes can be liars when it comes to who exceeds
beauty based on what the surface presents, which is why beauty is something that is far greater
than what only the bats of an eye can provide. It is a form of self-expression that is much more
complex than what the eyes can identify. Beauty as a whole can never truly be asserted as one
specific idea, because it is a word that can hold different meanings to different people, therefore
truly signifying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
23 comments:
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…” I completely agree with that statement! In your first few paragraphs, you discussed the different “types” of beauty as in how different people come to perceive the word, and you answered every question that I, as a reader, could’ve thought of: Beauty from the dictionary, from the common public, and to you personally, what is beauty? Later, when you began talking about the stigmas and expectations that society has on women, you really made the essay wholesome by talking about an idea and then the societal perception and application. Finishing it off with “Beauty as a whole can never truly be asserted as one specific idea” totally sums up the idea that there is never only one, true answer. Keep up the good work!
Very nice analysis on what beauty is. I agree that beauty standards definately do exist, and that pressures society to conform to it, it is at these times that having confidence is what is key, there is always going to be someone unpleased by someone else's physical appearance, and negativity will never disapppear, and thus it is important to maybe sometimes just not worry too much about the standards. But it is obviously not possible to straightly ignore the fact that a standard exists and ostracisation can happen, so it is important to knnow the boundary of when it is important to conform to society and when to be self confident. Inner beauty is definately what shapes a person, on the outside one can look astounishing, but inside they could be someone who sins using their appearance as a facade, it is all too easy to bat an eye at someone than learning their beauty within, and that is the sad reality society is stuck with. Whilst there are of course people fighting against the beauty standards, it is probably impossible to go away completly. Over all your piece really brings out the thinking on the topic of beauty, your word usages and sentence structure really does make one's brain really think, and that's amazing writing.
I loved your many different perspectives on beauty and the difference between outer and inner beauty. I agree with your quote "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" because all around the world are numerous cultures that hold contrasting views on beauty standards. I love how throughout your analysis you also show that perceptions can be manipulated based on relationships and comfortability with people. I do believe that as a society we tend to compare ourselves to unrealistic images from magazines and television shows that we become blind of our own unique beauty which is plainly being ourselves and loving ourselves. You did an amazing job!!!
Absolutely agree! Incorporating the different types of definitions of beauty many have was a great idea, others can now have more than one perspective on beauty. I agree that women do have a lot of pressure to have certain characteristics. I often see the pressure and feel it when scrolling through social media or even going out shopping. This is definitely a topic that should be discussed more and focused on, great work!
I completely agree with the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” ideal. I really enjoyed how you went into detail about all different “types” of beauty - whether it was societal-based beauty or individual, your analysis impressed me. I completely agree that society places unfair standards on women in regards to beauty, and going into the concept that our “eyes can be liars.” Just because someone appears beautiful on the outside, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will be just as beautiful on the inside. It can also work vise-versa, where just because someone is not the most attractive, it does not mean that there won’t be any substance. Thank you for writing this, it’s something everyone needed to hear!
- Eddie Yanez
This itself is beautiful. The way you described how beauty can be many things, was creative. Beauty is mostly seen as something external, but it is also internal as well. I am glad that you shunned some light on the fact that women don't feel as beautiful due to the media, because it is true. With that said, people should understand that beauty isn't just how someone looks on the outside. - Breana P.
What a deep analysis of the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"! I appreciated how you examined beauty from different points of view and provided information as well as analysis. Beauty has always been a tricky topic for me to consider since it is so versatile which is exactly why the concept is so subjective. Your approach and structure complemented the topic well! -Tammy Pham
What a deep analysis of the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"! I appreciated how you examined beauty from different points of view and provided information as well as analysis. Beauty has always been a tricky topic for me to consider since it is so versatile which is exactly why the concept is so subjective. Your approach and structure complemented the topic well! -Tammy Pham
I agree with your statement, especially your last sentence: "Beauty as a whole can never truly be asserted as one specific idea..." People generally see beauty as something you can compare yourself to. Society today tends to compare themselves to fashion magazines, articles, models, etc. However, you stated that beauty is more than that and it is a variety of traits that makes one beautiful. Thank you for sharing your opinion on this. You did an excellent job! - Aaron P.
I strongly agree with the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and I love how you started with the quote in the first paragraph and argued that there are other forms of beauty other than the visual perception, then concluded the piece with the quote again to emphasize your strong belief in the quote.
Natalie,
I loved how you used the quote "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" in the beginning of your piece and then tied it back in and the end while you thoroughly covered in your piece that beauty isn't only what the eye can see but is more complex than just a sight. You mention that eyes only see the surface view of things but it takes a lot more to deeply get a grasp of what beauty really is and I completely agree. The heart, mind, and soul really do open up a whole new meaning to beauty as you start to not only see the physical aspects of beauty within a person but while using your heart, mind, and soul, you can truly feel the inner beauty that radiates from another person. This is very important because it shows that physical beauty is not the only aspect to beauty but it shows that people are beautiful on the inside and it takes a lot more than what the eye can see to truly understand that.
I really liked your analytical writing on the topic of beauty. You definitely covered the key aspects of beauty and how it should be seen. You also brought truth in you piece when you said that media is one of the factors that make people insecure, especially women. It is honestly really inspiring to read and using the Oxford dictionary as a source brings so much light on what beauty should be all about. Great job! I really liked reading it! -Linda Hung
I absolutely love the topic you chose, and such an important one too in the social climate we live in. You wrote this in the most pure way by talking about what true beauty means. Using the dictionary definition and the dove study really shows the pressure women are put under to look a cerain way. But you contrasting that idea is amazing. Very well written.
I loved how deep you analyzed "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," because it really is a true statement. I loved how you touched on how there are beauty standards in the world, but the true meaning of beauty is how each and every person sees beauty. I also liked how you did not limit beauty to be just one thing. I liked how it could be an emotion and a reaction also.
I love how you captured the true essence of beauty. You did an amazing job analyzing beauty and coupling that analysis with examples to support your viewpoints. I really liked how you introduced many different meanings of beauty provided examples, and analyzed each. Through the passion gleaming through this piece, I can truly tell this topic means a great deal to you. - Hannah Ekelem
The quote you used in your piece;“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a very wonderful quote. I truly like the quote because it is so very true. The way you stated points on your quote was very encouraging and educational. This quote truly symbolizes what beauty really is.
I completely agree with you! This interpretation and explanation of “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is such a an accurate representation of how beauty should be defined today, especially in modernized societal standards that expect physical appearance, specifically towards women, to be a “vital” attribute in defining a person’s worth. So-called beauty standards nowadays are very toxic in the sense that they instill a set expectation of what the public should allegedly define as beauty. It is also very true that beauty itself is held past the surface and goes deeper into what you mentioned, was the “heart, mind, and soul,” which I believe should be reiterated in today’s society as insecurity prevails in countless everyday thoughts to remind others that beauty is far from its raw denotation. You flawlessly encompassed the idea of what is true beauty through such a complex-structured and clearly conveyed piece.
I thought that this piece of writing was amazing. I agree with what you are saying especially when you said that beauty "Is an abstraction that prevails as a unique perception drawn upon in various ways." It was just an unusual way of describing beauty. I would've never thought about describing beauty in that way and it caught my attention.
-Melanie Lee
I believe this is a very important conversation, that for way too long had been kept in the dark. Self-expression and identification is a very hard concept to put into words, but you did so well using the phrase "visual perception of the individual". It is very clearly stated, almost opened-ended, in a sense that is embodies beauty's mysteriousness and expanding spectrum, while still answering the question of what beauty is. Thank You! -Madia Wright
Your piece really opens up the definition of beauty and how we see it today. I completely agree with you on the fact that our eyes are simply one way of examining beauty because as you have mentioned, the definition of beauty has grown into a completely different dimension. Through your definition of beauty, your piece also gives perspective of what we need to look at when it comes to examining others, whether they are things such as mind or heart. Overall, your piece sparks us to start considering what is truly important when it comes to the perception of inner/outer beauty of ourselves and other people. -Nathaniel Alvarado
I love how you not only tackled the societal aspect of beauty, discussing the societal normalities as well as pressures, but also spoke on beauty as an abstract ideas with shifting definitions beyond the definitive dictionary denotations. How you tied it back to the old saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” worked “Beautifully”
-Justin Lim
This lays out the issues of beauty in society very well! The part that explains how there's so much more to a persons beauty that just what the bat of an eye can provide is very relevant, especially with apps such as tinder. These apps creates such a surface level understanding of beauty which you described very well within your passage.
-Kyler Lovett
I love pieces like yours, pieces that talk about topics that go beyond the basic definition that most people have. I like how you began your essay with honesty towards what our society idealize of beauty. Towards the end of your piece you were very specific about how everyone has their own point of view and how they all have their own definition of beauty and I couldn't agree more.
-Aneika Madrigal
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