Inner Beauty Vs Outer Beauty

What delights us in visible beauty is the invisible (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach). Beautiful was first derived from the Latin word bellus or bella, essentially meaning fine (Mahoney), but nowadays it is defined as the quality of being pleasing, or someone or something that gives one great gratification, especially when one looks at it ('Definition of 'beauty' - English Dictionary'). While one says beauty is an internal factor, another says it is external. Regardless, in reality it is a notion which can be both visible and invisible at the same time. This definition includes not only people or things that have exquisite appearance, but generosity and courtesy can also be categorized into being beautiful. None the less, the trait classified as beautiful has been changing over time throughout history and there are still arguments over it.

For instance, in ancient Egypt (2040 -1640 B.C.), male with red skin, musculature, and without mustache is considered attractive. Egyptian female with golden skin, not have given birth were pleasing traits. Further, youth was appealing peculiarity for both male and female ('The Concept of Beauty in Ancient Egypt' 2015). In ancient Greece (800-500 B.C.), kohl-rimmed and fierce looking eyes, red suns tattooed or painted on the cheeks, pale skin and hair styled in snake roll was the standards for beauty ('Would you be beautiful in the ancient world?' 2015). It was similar in Medieval (500-1500 A.D.). The curvaceous body, a larger forehead, blushing cheek, and pale skin were desired.

Interestingly, beauty was also counted among wisdom, marriage, and religion. The golden apple anecdote from Greek mythology is a great example. Many recalls the golden apple written “to the fairest” was given to Aprodite, the goddess of beauty. However, it is important that the apple was thrown-in to start a fight and there was a argument among goddess of wisdom, marriage, and beauty. From this fight it is evident that not only seducing looks could be specified beautiful, but other traits could as well. Moreover, the painting “Lady of the Fountain” by Alan lee shows three women from the Medieval time. This painting inheres Christianity was a major part in life and beauty. Similarly, the idea of Medieval Augustine’s Philosophical Anthropology was that both the body and the soul are good, only the body was of ‘lesser good’, because it is temporal, mortal. Temperance, moderation, and modesty were preached all throughout the Middle Ages.

Beauty is subjective. It depends on where one focuses on.

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