The Definition of Beauty

Topics: Human physical appearance, Beauty, Angelina Jolie Pages: 2 (553 words) Published: September 18, 2012
Beauty is defined by a combination of qualities present in a thing or person that pleases the aesthetic senses or brings about deep satisfaction. Many people take that definition to mean that beauty describes a person’s outward appearance. Although a person’s outward appearance can be defined by the term beauty, true beauty lies in the way a person acts and thinks rather than the way they look.

The term beauty is subjective to each and every person. Today, so much emphasis is placed on a person’s physical appearance. Physically attractive girls and guys are known as beautiful and desirable, and those individuals who don’t meet society’s standards of “beauty” are mocked or ridiculed. Yet, beauty doesn’t always have to mean the outward appearance of a person. Beauty can define a person’s heart and personality; it can describe an inspiring view, or it can explain a person’s actions. It’s true that a person’s appearance can be described as beautiful as well, but that is only part of the definition of beauty. A person can be beautiful just from the way they act towards others or the way they go about their daily lives. True beauty, or inner beauty, is seen with the heart; not the eyes.

Beauty can be found anywhere. Everything from an amazing sunrise, to an individual helping a homeless person, to someone lost in thought, is beautiful. There’s almost something profound about catching those tiny moments of beauty in a person or place; someone sitting in a café lost in thought while reading a novel, or an old married couple holding hands. During those chance seconds, it’s almost as if the individuals’ true self is taking center stage. The viewer is allowed to see past what society wants the people to think is beautiful and is truly able to catch a glimpse of what beauty means in its simplest terms.

So many people today are programmed to think that beauty lies in a person’s outward appearance. Take for instance, all of the Hollywood celebrities such as Angelina...
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