Melissa Reynolds
Of Beauty

“Beauty is as summer fruits, which are easy to corrupt, and cannot last” -Francis Bacon

It is a common belief that beautiful people are often stuck up and that it is the less attractive people who are the nicest. This may be true to a point, however, many times those less blessed with beauty harbor resentment for the world either knowingly or subconsciously, while the attractive people are the most cheerful and pleasant with which to associate one’s self. Most pleasant of all, are those who are beautiful without knowing that they are; for people who know that they are beautiful are prone to vanity, but those who do not know are not vain, have not been mistreated by the world, and so, have the sweetest dispositions. They also do not judge others by their appearance, an aspect of their personality which makes them all the more beautiful. It is most often the ugly people who judge the most, as if to prove to the world that they are not the only ones with faults, pointing out others’ oddities to draw attention from their own. This, in turn, only makes them seem ugl ier; for no one likes a fault-finder. It is a never-ending cycle. True beauty is a balance of good looks, charming manners, and a kind spirit. The more one is found lacking in one area, the more they must make up for it in the other two. Often though, an absence of good looks causes one to become hard-hearted and anti-social. So although it is said, “Beauty is only skin deep,” the effects of beauty or lack of it almost always go deeper, causing the soul to either grow bitter and withdrawn or to flourish.