When the physical form of one’s identity becomes the medium for gauging self-worth, the flesh becomes objectified like a fa’ade or storefront beckoning potential buyers and window shoppers of love. Our bodies become like mannequins, plastic and empty, a tool for self-fulfillment masking the hollow emptiness inside. Therefore, we shall follow the dynamic between flesh and spirit, body and soul, and in one way, how beauty becomes perverted and made shallow.
Like all objects of desire, their value is usually placed upon them subjectively as they themselves often possess no intrinsic value. In this same way, beauty is objectified because of the socially instilled value placed on objects of desire whose value does not include the essence it possess, i.e., in this case, one’s spirit. If we are taught to ascribe value to beauty, where such value is limited to aesthetics, the remaining characteristics of the person become excluded from value and thus, separate from beauty.
That is to say, the value we place on physical beauty distinguishes form from essence in such a way as to exclude essence from beauty’s value. When in public, whether at school or work, a grocery store, or even walking down the sidewalk, what happens when you notice an attractive person? Do you look at them with an intent gaze? If so, how long does it take before you internalize their external beauty? Is there always a sense of jealously or inadequacy? Or is there acceptance of another’s physical attributes that do not phase your sense of personal worth? Our society has put so much emphasis on outward appearances that the truly beautiful have become something ugly. We can say beauty is on the inside but our conditioning makes it a true trial when attempting to resist the temptation to compare self with others.
Setting aside the socially contrived hierarchy of beauty idealized, i.e., the genetically elite towering above the rest beneath, it is rather the inner experience of our suffering caused by the denied value of our inner beauty in a market of meat that must receive more than ’window dressing’ so that we may reestablish the parameters of beauty to embrace the whole. As our identity becomes isolated within our body, excluded from recognition and bereft of value, one of the largest subsequent travesties is set in motion, i.e., the utilization of body image for the sustenance to supplement our spiritual lacking. It is those of us, the ugly beautiful, who use their ’genetically superior’ bodies as an attractive appliance to acquire power in the form of attention, both negative and complimentary, from the mass surplus of people whose bodies and thus, self-image, fall short on the aforementioned beauty scale.
With the relationship between body and soul, flesh and spirit, cleaved into conflict by the values that exclude the spiritual, a remarkable number of us have grown accustomed to functioning within a form that seemingly misrepresents our true self. The hopelessness perceived by our isolated inner self then transforms from a victimized role into comfortability with receiving self-worth through the vehicle of our body. Like a drug, this apparent comfortability with form as a means for achieving inner self-sustenance blossoms into an outright addiction and our thirst for inner fulfillment through the shallow values of beauty become both self-defacing and predatory.
The ’Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful’ segment of the populace should actually be the ’Don’t hate-love yourself because you are beautiful.’ When we tear down our self-worth, especially when it revolves around a concept such as beauty where external beauty is temporal, we are giving up our power, power to love without envy and criticism of the other. There is a level of responsibility to what true beauty means; we cannot blame the media and social conditioning.
Lastly, with great beauty comes great responsibility. Those who are fortunate enough to be blessed with unique physical beauty have a greater responsibility as representatives of beauty to uphold the honor, sanctity and purity of true beauty, protecting it from perversions of value that objectify the flesh and exclude the spirit.
Finally, we extend an open invitation to hear from you. Inquiring Open Minds want to know. If you have any recommendations for future topics, please contact us at rachel@boropulse.com or jason@boropulse.com or visit theomexchange.wordpress.com.
