Appearances

People are defined by "looks" whether they like it or not. It takes a person of true character and self control not to react at the first sign of physical appearance. A wise man once told me that the greatest sin of a man is to lust after a beautiful woman, but the greatest sin of a woman is to lust after the desire to be beautiful. The root cause of this cannot be blamed on either gender because it is a circulatory problem, similar the famous question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Women want to be beautiful because men pay attention and react to beauty. And men pay attention because women make themselves look beautiful and enjoy the attention. It becomes a game, but one that only ends in misery for both parties. Because beauty fades, time changes, and what you are left with is a person’s character, the inner self that cannot be seen.

The only way to be truly content takes a change of perception, and it takes fighting our natural carnality in a world obsessed with physical appearances. This is not new knowledge; I do not claim to bring out any new truth in my thoughts. I am simply stating that to become a better person, to realize the true value in life, requires a constant renewing of the mind. It takes a spiritual awareness and an understanding of the self, followed by a change in our way of thinking, followed by a change in our behavior. Only then can we begin to see the real beauty that is present in others, and only then can we focus on the more important matters in life.