You don’t need to look in the mirror to see your beauty.

I know that I shed tears, a lot! But every tear I shed carries meaning. I don’t cry without reason; I cry because I feel things, because I care, and because some things are too heavy to keep inside.

I've been reflecting on this thing called beauty standards for the past few months... I've not seen this topic 'Being Discussed' quite often.

Let's break it down...

When I say the word; "Beautiful" What comes to your mind?

• If you thought of a woman then it would be a 'White-toned', 'Slim', 'A bridge nose', 'Perfect curves', 'flawless skin', 'Long and lustrous hair' type girl.

• If you thought of a Man it would be kind of similar except for that 'Long hair', and 'Perfect curves' ones...

• If you thought of a flower then it would be a 'Rose' or some other fancy name of your kind.

Now, pause and think again. Do you realize how much of this image is shaped by media and history?

From Disney cartoons to popular movies, we’ve been subtly programmed to equate beauty with perfection. Villains are often portrayed with "flawed" appearances—crooked noses, uneven skin, or heavier bodies. These depictions have drilled into our minds a toxic narrative: that beauty is synonymous with goodness, and anything outside those ideals is bad or less deserving.

Here's an Example:

See? The Villain is Short or Fat or has a 'Crooked nose', ' Big teeth', ' Long Chin', or 'Weird hair'.

Now, let's see what our 'Good-People' look like:

Cartoons and Media were the 'Tiniest example' regarding our ugly beauty standards... We all have seen these examples in real life; Or maybe we are those harsh 'reality' of this society to do all this...

Is it in our CONTROL to be born with perfectly fair and lifted features?

Do we have any power over the way GOD creates us?

We all know the answer to it:

That is "NO"

Still, we all wanna cover our faces with the paint of these ugly beauty standards.

The Reality

I never stressed myself on learning what a perfect 'jawline' is. Or what face shape is beautiful... These things have always been meaningless to me.

But, I used to picture beauty the same way. The way we all are forced to see beauty...

The "Outer beauty" way.

I also used to picture this that if a girl passing by is beautiful; meaning she has gorgeous eyes, fair skin color, tall and had no pimples on her face... She's just as nice as her beauty. I used to judge people on the basis of their beauty...

And trust me, knowingly or unknowingly; We All Did This!

Studies have shown fewer 'pretty and beautiful' prisoners in the Jails... Not because these 'pretty and beautiful' people don't commit crimes, but because they're mostly not locked behind a cell. The reason?

"Their Outer Beauty"

We have decided to define a person by their appearance.

My Realization

One day; out of nowhere, I saw a dream... Well, not actually out of nowhere. That 'One Day,' I had watched several videos of 'Acid-Attack' on girls. I became so sad that I fell asleep while crying, the videos still playing in the background.

My dream was a bit different from the videos I watched earlier; (Dreams can be crazy, we all agree).

A boy, a very handsome boy... A boy with beauty that could imprison the eye of every single girl. When he passed through the streets, like some Bollywood movie, every person—even the boys—would turn around to see his charms and good-looking face. For a long time, I remembered his name too, but now I have forgotten it.

His life was almost perfect, smooth, and sound.

Until one day, he got into an accident. He survived, but his face... It was shattered badly. Doctors had a hard time managing the remaining bits of his face, somehow creating enough space for his nose to breathe.

After a month or so, when he got discharged from the bed, no one could recognize him again. Ever.

When he saw his face in the mirror for the first time— His world became NUMB. He was broken into a million pieces... He couldn't even recognize himself.

But, what happened next was the final nail in the coffin. Every single person in his life looked down on him. Some took pity on him when they would talk to him. Most of 'em would laugh at him; while burying their smiles. All those girls? They would not bear a minute standing near him! And suddenly after that:

I woke up. I woke up to reality. I understood the world we are living in. We love bodies—not souls. We crave beauty, yet we never glance at the real essence of a person. We feel satisfied thinking we want someone in life who is "handsome," "gorgeous," or "cool." But what if, one day, we get into an accident? What if our beautiful features are destroyed?

Tell me—how many people do you think will look at you the same way they did before? Except, of course, for your parents and siblings, because their love is truly unconditional.

Even when the body is broken, the soul remains untouched. And yet, I wonder how deeply it must hurt those who feel rejected because they don’t "match" the world's superficial standards. How cruel is it that we measure worth with fleeting looks, ignoring the beauty that never fades—the soul?

TRUE BEAUTY

Find a person—support a person—who respects you from within. Someone who truly cares for you. Someone who makes you feel beautiful, not just through words but through actions. Someone who loves you unconditionally, regardless of your appearance. And do the same in return.

If you find a person whose soul is beautiful, never let them go. Cherish them, nurture the bond, and hold it close to your heart. Outer beauty is fleeting; it fades with time. But the beauty of the soul only grows stronger, deeper, and more radiant with love and understanding.

Remember, the people who see your soul, and who value your heart, are the ones who will stand by you when the world turns away. Be that person for someone else. And if you’re lucky enough to find such a person, treasure them—because they are rare, and they are priceless.

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My thoughts on 'BEAUTY STANDARDS' could fill volumes, but let’s take a step back and explore the essence of true beauty—through a fresh perspective and the words of Anwesha, a talented writer and an inspiring girl. 💖

Maybe a Part 2 on: "Beauty Standards"? 😊

Coming soon:

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Author's Note:

Thank you for reading it! Please share your thoughts on this one... I wanna hear what you think.