Beauty is Ugly
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Beauty is Ugly

It is gross and vile and disgusting.

252
Beauty is Ugly
Harleysnode

It is a shame that we live in a society that has so horribly misinterpreted beauty. The word has been minimized and shallowed. Common belief is that we can calculate beauty with a simple formula; create it in a lab based off of focus groups, mass-produce it, box it, tie it with a bow, and force it down the throats of the unsuspecting consumers. We have become accustomed to it. We place skinny women with symmetrical faces on podiums as models for perfection, ignoring the human inside the body. We look at art with a craving for aesthetics but dive no deeper than what is painted on the surface. We are jealous of the cute couple on social media because we assume their love is as filtered as their Instagram photos. What is abandoned is the truth: the gross, vile, disgusting, heart-wrenching, reality-altering, ugly, beautiful truth.

This consumer culture world has killed beauty. Advertising and marketing has numbed our brains. The internet age has left us addicted to instant gratification. Binge-watching leaves us seeking entrancement. We live vicariously through our social media profile. There is no longer a need for reality. It is no wonder that we threw away beauty for appeal.

The truth has been flipped completely upside down. Beauty is thought of as perfection but really it is the exact opposite of perfection. This world is much more complex and diverse than we have come to view it. To truly find beauty, you have to look for it; it is there, hidden in the nuanced pieces that compose the mosaic of our reality. It is messy and contradictory and too large in scope to completely understand. There is meaning and beauty in every detail- but the most beauty is hidden in the details we try to ignore. We need them to complete the work of art, to fulfill its purpose- but most of us would rather pretend they do not exist. I am here to tell you that this ignorance is not bliss.

This article is not meant to be pessimistic. It is meant to expose the truth- because the truth is the only means of reaching pure beauty. I want us to wake up from our trance and feel. I want us to stop living by stumbling from distraction to distraction. We have lost touch of beauty but that does not mean we cannot get it back. The first step is to acknowledge that beauty is ugly.

Beauty is not a photo shopped magazine model. Beauty is the model's flawed, makeup-less complexion. The one that tells the truth. It is the blemishes, scars, wrinkles that whisper stories. It is all the imperfections that make her who she is.

Beauty is not a colorful display of paint on a canvas. Beauty is how those brushstrokes make you sting. It is how that reflection of life hits so close to your heart that it frightens you. It is the gross truth that the artist is desperate to uncover.

Beauty is not an Instagram photo of a smiling couple. Beauty is the fights, the tears, the resilience of love. It is the struggle to accept and cope with your partner's demons. It is holding their hand through this chaotic, unfair journey towards death. Beauty- true, full, deep beauty- is the hard work and commitment it takes to love.

Life can be ugly. Accept it. Find the beauty in it. Experience- and experience with all of your being. There is nothing more fulfilling than living authentically. Let us stop running away from reality and start embracing the beautifully ugly truth.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

79065
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

48420
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

978469
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments