"What would happen if a woman honestly believed all her life that she was beautiful?
Would this have a tendency to make her beautiful?"
Agnes Sligh Turnbull from her diary Dear Me 1939
I am a great believer in the philosophy embedded in the following quote from The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Armin.
"...the more Mr. Briggs thought Rose charming the more charming she became."
What do you think?
This is most awesome. There is nothing like the support of a loved one.
ReplyDeleteYour post made me smile.
T
I think in isolated situations, maybe so... in the real world, I'm sadly going to say no. Outside influences and societal 'norms' seem to taint true beauty sometimes (which is internal beauty). Of course I could terribly jaded and wrong, and if so, I am happy to hear it. :)
ReplyDeleteWow, you are thought-provoking! I think that it's true in many cases. Positive reinforcement, don't you know?
ReplyDeleteI think that is absolutely true-I'm much more charming when encouraged!
ReplyDeleteHow true that is. Don't we all love our friends and refuse to see any of their physical flaws. They are always beautiful in our eyes.
ReplyDeleteone of my favorite movies! I think, no, I want to believe, most of us want to rise above being medium and when someone believes in us, it's easier to believe in ourselves.
ReplyDeleteYou gotta believe...
ReplyDeleteWhen you have a supportive husband who builds your self confidence by telling you that he thinks you are pretty.......yes, you feel pretty..whether you are or not. The power of love.
ReplyDeleteJoe tells me I am beautiful every day. I believe him most of the time. I had a dear friend whose spouse told her she was fat and ugly she believed him-they are now divorced.
ReplyDeleteMy dear Dewena,
ReplyDeleteI truly believe that by the time a little girl becomes a woman, she has formed her own opinion about her physical beauty. If she is confident, intelligent and outgoing, she, most likely, will believe herself to be beautiful. Yes, we all know the results of positive reinforcement and Pavlov's puppies, and the same applies, no doubt, to the human species. Does it matter WHO the feedback is coming from? This is a tricky one. For example, my husband rarely compliments me anymore and when he does, it isn't exactly a compliment, but more of an observation. He'll say, 'Oh! All done up, are we?', instead of what I would really appreciate, a simple and sweet, 'You look pretty'. Ultimately, I think that the reinforcement should come from ourselves for being intelligent, kind, generous, and yes, beautiful, intrinsically so, the kind that doesn't fade with age, but glows sweetly in our spirit and soul.
I thank you for yet another most interesting and inspiring post!
Poppy