let your inner beauty shine through

Two days ago, I suggested that “The world unfolds through our eyes. Always try to see the beauty in it.” I received a comment saying that my idea simultaneously carries a shallow and deep connotation. Hence, I came to consider the way one views – not just anything, but in particular – other people, and the way one is viewed by other people. The ‘how?’, ‘when?’ and ‘why?’.

I ended up reading this article by Ky Henderson supposedly expressing ‘The guy's perspective on the elusive concept of "inner beauty"’, which – quite poorly, I must say – argues that there is no such thing as inner beauty. The main argument is that “beauty is tangible, beauty is sensory, and beauty is external. People who refuse to admit this need only walk down the street with a beautiful woman.” The article is a bit more nuanced towards the end; I give Henderson that. But what better suits my view of [wo]man are the words of a lady who most definitely represented both inner and external beauty in mutual reinforcement with each other.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Audrey Hepburn:

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
 
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. 

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. 

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day. 

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. 

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. 

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries or the way she combs her hair. 

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years."