I weigh 130 pounds, and it took me a long to time to admit this weight was OK.
Blame it on our toxic culture so consumed with body image it's too blind to recognize the other attributes of a person.
Physical appearance speaks loads. If a woman is confident, maybe she holds her head higher, smiles often, and wears bright colors. A more reserved or insecure person might stay close to people she knows, keeping her head down, and turning her body away when she meets new people.
A myriad of other physical attributes tell us about a person, such as skin color, hair, eyes, body weight, height, and dress.
What if the exterior was the last thing we saw when we met someone? Wouldn't that drastically change our judgement or admiration for people we see and meet?
Here are six attributes to look for in a person aside from body image.
- Tone of voice. Whether a person's voice is gentle, sarcastic, rough, rapid or mellow reveals a lot about their personality. This quality in a person can become admirable and work in their favor to win a good opinion.
- Hidden Talents. I once knew a guy who was pretty average looking, but when I discovered he could balance anything on his chin from a plastic spoon to a construction ladder, my perception of him changed dramatically. Hidden talents are not things you learn about someone from just seeing their exterior.
- Linguistic Ability. A lot of people can speak multiple languages, which can change the way you see them. Many of my bilingual friends seem completely different when I hear them speaking in their mother tongue.
- Expertise. Everyone is a little geeky about something. There is this girl I went to England with who knows all about Korean pop music, including the backstory of each band member, the Korean lyrics of the latest songs, and dance moves from the hottest music videos. Looking at her you would never guess all that. And even if someone's expertise isn't interesting to you, many times their passion for it is pleasant to know.
- Intellect. A philosopher is not easy to spot in a crowd unless he's the kind to sit in the corner and ponder the meaning of life. But we surface level thinkers can learn and be enlightened by great thinkers of today. As the pen is mightier than the sword, so is the mind of a thinker to the muscle of an athlete. Well, depending on the situation.
- Spiritual life. How close someone is to God is something to discover. This is an aspect of a person that is interesting to know and hear about. What they think about the human soul and a higher power reveals their beliefs and what they hold to as truth.
Physical appearance has just been something on my mind lately. So my challenge to you and to myself is to notice the unnoticed, consider the hidden interior of the people you see everyday. Remember that they are main characters in your life's story, not just extras.
