|
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Beauty
By Rene Lizada
Papa's Table
I TOTALLY agree. In my life, I have seen what seemed to be beautiful turn ugly right before my eyes. I have heard many beautiful words that were mere garbage and had no meaning at all except for the stink that it brought. Beauty is not goodness. And ugliness is not automatically evil. You would be surprised at how supposedly beautiful people with all their fine manners and their sophisticated ways have dark hearts.
In this society obsessed with the shallowness of things and the cheap use of words and appearances, it is very easy to be caught up with the deception of appearances. Nothing is what it seems to be. Beautiful words are often laced with poison and insecurity. Beautiful words often hide the malice and the greed of the hidden agenda.
If you have the time read "King Lear." It is all about the how two children duped their father with words he wanted to hear. How, two devious and deceitful children manipulated their father to get what they wanted. And the poor father fell for the charms of the two children. The two daughters because of their hypocrisy became the favorites. The third daughter who refused to fool the father with honeyed words was banished.
But in the end, the youngest daughter was vindicated. But it was too late. The father had given everything away. He had lost everything because he believed in the beautiful but poisoned words. And in the end, the two daughters ganged up on him while the one who refused to fool him tried to help him. Not everything that is beautiful is good. Do not be swayed by appearances.
Take the example of "Beauty and the Beast." Gastogne, the handsome villain, was everything that you would expect from a hero. He was handsome and admired by everyone. The women drooled over him and he was the biggest thing in their village. He was articulate and was a master hunter and he could practically do anything and everything. But he was evil. He was egotistical who believed in his own press releases. He was selfish and yet one could have thought otherwise because in the outward he was all that was what a man was supposed to be. After all, he was handsome.
Contrast this with the Beast. He was ugly. A monster judging from outward appearances and he was the direct opposite of Gastogne. And yet the Beast was more human than Gastogne. He was gentle, sincere and honest. And yet society turned against him because he was ugly. He was a monster that looked terrifying and horrible. He was shunned and rejected. But the Beast was honest and sincere and gentle and true. But still that did not help. He was the object of scorn and hatred while Gastogne was idolized because of his words and looks. The people only saw the physical. But as well know that in the end the Beast was vindicated, saved. He was transformed into his old self.
Still there is "Shrek Two." He had a choice to be handsome and Fiona to be pretty. But they refused to be that way. Instead they chose to be what they were. Beautiful, gentle and green and fat. But happy. But true. They did not have to prove anything. I find it a tragedy that so many people are so caught up with this beauty thing. "Hindi lahat ng magaganda, maganda." In my experience, I have seen so many Gastognes in different shades and degrees. I am sure you have your own Gastognes. I am certain that you have met people who are so shallow, so superficial, so loud.
Some of the noisiest people we know have absolutely nothing to say. Oh yes, they can talk and talk but they are empty words. And we ought to be compassionate with people like that because they are hollow and desperate. Perhaps that is reason they find meaning in what is meaningless. In clothes, in cheap words, in cars, in mansions, in money. They seek that which is deprived of them in the outer manifestations. And they will continue this futile search until they realize "what a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness."
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (February 22, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
