Rachel Tresider

Inner beauty is defined by a person’s character and personality. This is a tough thing for a lot of people to except within their selves, me included. On the other-hand the outside is what everyone bases their perception of you from. When others do this, it often tears people down. What people do not see very often is the beauty in oneself that is deep within. Likewise, outer beauty is both physical and visual. This is something that not everyone has, but people often only look on the outside of a person and see the outer physique. This is how people often determine their perception on others. Outer beauty fades in time; looks can be deceiving. Inner beauty is what really matters about one, not what is shown physically about them on the outside.

“Outer beauty attracts, but inner beauty captivates.” (Kate Angell) Inner beauty is found deep within. Someone’s personality or character will tell who someone truly is on the inside. No one can teach you who you are, only you can learn that about yourself. By accepting who you are instead of doubting yourself, you have a beginning sense of feeling beautiful to yourself and not everyone else’s perspective. If you don’t like who you are, even though you should always love yourself, there is always time to change that. There is endless opportunities and times for you to be able to work on how you perceive yourself. Inner beauty is delicate and fragile. It is like a rose; it can be bright and fun and bubbly. But it can also die. Roses show us that there is a new beginning, just like for ourselves if we want to start over with the way we show ourselves to the world. There is never one set way that the world must always perceive you, it can always be changed. When we refer to beauty on the inside, we think of emotions and the way someone thinks. There is always a time that we look at someone and think,” Wow they are very special, but I cannot put my finger on what makes them so special.” Well, if it is not on the outside that we are thinking of, then it must be on the inside. The heart can be so pure that when we look at someone, that can be what stands out. “Once you have inner beauty that never changes.” (Outer Beauty vs, Inner Beauty: We Have it Backwards, 2017)

“Outer beauty will capture the eyes, your inner beauty will capture the heart.” (Steven Aitchison) Outer beauty is not something that will captivate someone to fall in love with your heart. Inner beauty is what captivates others. While inner beauty is what matters most, the first thing people think about when they hear something about beauty, they think about outer beauty. Physical characteristics come to mind before one’s personality. While many may think that outer beauty image issues only occur within woman, that is wrong. It also occurs in men. “For decades men have hidden their image issues as well.” (Why Am I not Surprised, 2014) Outer beauty is typically enhanced by your clothing, make-up, hair, etc. More so in women than men, women are afraid of not being socially accepted because of their body type. Most women would rather be smaller than larger, finding themselves attached to the societal spectrum. Typically, when you find yourself in this case, you are not in acceptance of your outer beauty. Being aware of these things provides a better sense of whether you see yourself siding as to which is more important; Inner or outer beauty. When some find that they fall to the side of outer beauty, they try to deny it. Many people refuse to accept that they care about outer beauty more than inner beauty, sadly. This tends to bring an epidemic into the eyes of society. While this arises an epidemic, society most times denies that an epidemic is occurring. This epidemic is usually consisting of society bringing fourth specific norms of how one should look. This goes as far as body type, make-up, hair, and even to clothing. Not only just what shirt or pants you are wearing, but to your shoes and your accessories, too. This is where society comes in to try and forcefully tell you what type of relationship, if any relationship at all, to have with someone. Society tries to tell you whether it is accepted to love someone.

Biblically the definition of beauty is different from the definition we know. We know beauty as being physically attracting, or even pleasing to the mind and the senses. “We are indoctrinated to believe beauty refers to a physically, attractive woman who triggers the pleasure senses (thoughts of seduction, lust, obsession) in others with her qualities.” (Outer Beauty Versus Inner Beauty: A Biblical Perspective, 2018) We, as women, continue to degrade ourselves just because of what society has put as a face. The face of society even includes social media. In 1 Peter 3: 3-6, Peter says “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” (Holy Bible ESV, 2011) When Peter states this, he is saying that the wife subjects herself into obedience for her husband. But not as for obedience as to what her husband wants her to look like. God has beauty defined as words spoken with love, kindness, forgiveness, sacrifice, selfless, etc. Biblically beauty is very definite. Beauty scripturally has nothing to do with what clothing you wear, any make-up being worn at all, pictures, or how your body looks exactly. In fact, scripturally, all of that is not in the works of Godly beauty.

When looking at beauty from the perspective only from women, we more often see it as our physical appearance matters to us more around the times of summer. Often, the warmer the weather gets outside, the more we worry about how our body looks and how we are shaped. While we care so much about the physical aspect of our bodies around this time, most women still find it that inner beauty matters more. What will always matter the most when it comes to looking at ourselves, along the lines of beauty, will always be your outlook and perspective of how you handle things, your pride for yourself, and your remembrance of your value to God. “Once you can work on your inner-beauty, your outer beauty will gradually blossom.” (Inner Beauty Versus Outer Beauty: Which one is more important to you? , 2014)

It is determined by society that all men care only about the outside of a woman’s body over their inner self. As for it is true that many men look at women and care more about the physical aspects instead of the internal aspects. This is mainly happening around men that are still maturing. This commonly lays around the age group of teens and the early twenties. During this time in male lives, they are more worried about their own physical needs, instead of a woman’s heart. A piece of research was done by an intern in a research lab. This research was done by a woman named Rachel Cunio. Cunio asked men, that she worked with while she interned, about their perspective about women. Leaving the topic broad, she did not specify that the topic was inner versus outer beauty. But the men took it upon themselves to naturally base it off inner versus outer beauty. “I hope that you can imagine the care and discernment that went into each thought and the quotes that came from those thoughts.” (This Is Proof That Real Men Appreciate Both The Inner And Outer Beauty Of Women, 2016) Some quotes from some of these men are very meaningful and heart touching. “Women are beautiful especially when they don’t wear makeup.” – Dalton (This Is Proof That Real Men Appreciate Both The Inner And Outer Beauty Of Women, 2016) “I like how women are kind, caring, and tender; their tenderness is enhanced sensitivity to often-overlooked needs, not weakness. Women motivate and inspire through words, actions, and their nature as unique, precious, and complex people.” – Caleb (This Is Proof That Real Men Appreciate Both The Inner And Outer Beauty Of Women, 2016) One of my favorite quotes on this topic from this is, You are strong. You are confronted and deal with so much pressure and criticism every day. Most of it is never direct, but implied. And you handle it with grace and composure. You may already know it, but it is good to hear it from a brother: you are smart, you are kind, you are beautiful. You challenge me to be a better man just by your way of being. -Zach (This Is Proof That Real Men Appreciate Both The Inner And Outer Beauty Of Women, 2016) This quote is a beautiful summarization on the male perspective of women. Not only is it very beautiful, but it leaves hope to the rest of the male gender to have the same mindset towards women that these men do. This piece of research shows that most men, after maturing or the Godly men do not fall into the defined perspective of men about women in society.

Inner Beauty is what honestly fascinates me the most about someone. People can be so happy and excited. But that is only one side of the case. The other side is that there are others, still, sad and searching for help. There are so many different things that people are searching everywhere for when it comes to finding their inner self. I truly believe that when one has found themselves that the world becomes a whole new ball game for them. When you feel like you are nothing of what you want to become yet, society can be very cruel to have around. From my personal experience, life has been very bumpy with how I perceive myself. Some days I am very happy and excited to see what the day has in store for me. While for other days, I am not looking forward to getting up at all. But those sad days are when we can choose to let the sadness capture us, or we can slowly change into the person that we desire to be. We can navigate around what we do some days to make ourselves more of who we want to become. This begins with getting up and having the desire to make ourselves better. If we can help people understand the true importance of one’s inner self, then they are more likely to have a time of self-reflection. During this time of reflection, one is going to examine their hearts and their actions. This is the time when the most change begins to happen within one. At times there will be doubt that,” I do not know who I am, or if I will ever be the person that I want to become.” But there is a time that is set by God. He knows when you are going to find your true self. He also knows when you become who you are truly meant to be. We always think that beauty is just skin, hair, and the outer body. But there is one thing that matters. This one thing is your heart. Your heart tells everyone who you are around exactly who you are. Whether this is if you are happy, sad, etc. Most importantly, it should show who you really are to you. This should not be just to everyone else around you. But this should also be shown to yourself, too.

People have the choice whether to accept people for their underlying side of themselves or the surface for the whole world to see. Beauty can be seen from many different views. But the most important view is from the inside out. There will be times when you feel like you cannot find yourself, but truth is you have been your true self all along.