What Beauty Is Not

Beauty－or handsomeness, for that matter－is a versatile word.

It is not defined as light-skinned hourglass figure with a touch of foreign features, nor does it mean tall, chinito, and abs-bearing body.

This may be the version of beauty commonly presented in Philippine media, and the market’s favorite breed what with the glutathione products and diet pills dominating the shelves of everyone’s favorite stores, but it isn’t the only sort of beauty out there.

The Philippines has over 7,000 islands in different status, shapes, and sizes, and although flawed in their ways, they are still beautiful are they not? What makes you believe you are not worthy of being called handsome or beautiful?

Beauty－or handsomeness, for that matter－is not tantamount to perfection.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines beauty as “the quality of being physically attractive” and perfection as “freedom from fault or defect.”

As human beings, we are intrinsically tied to faults and defects, therefore perfection is the unreachable tail end of a sweet dream, and yet this does not negate the existence of beauty. Why is this so?

Beauty is not linked to flawlessness or perfection. Even your favorite bloggers, models, and celebrities have their flaws no matter how stunning they look in the billboards or a well-orchestrated Instagram picture; perhaps they just cover up their flaws exceedingly well.

Nonetheless, how flawed you are is not a measurement of beauty.

Your pimples are okay, your asymmetric features are okay, the bits of belly fat that you can never seem to get rid of is okay. This is normal, so do not fret.

Beauty－or handsomeness, for that matter－is not skin-deep.

Ultimately, it’s all about the mindset.

Confidence and a high self-esteem can do a lot for you, because even though some people may not think of you as beautiful or handsome, if you alone see yourself as such then that could make all the difference. The rest will follow suit.

Beauty is not tethered to one type; it is not perfect; it is not skin-deep. In this case, everyone can be beautiful or handsome. It’s all a matter of coming to terms with it, and that ultimately starts with you.