Volume 65 December 2026-January 2026 : Reality Hub

…In the eyes of the beholder...

                                                                

By Otshidile Onkabetse

We see trees; we see the world in its entire splendor and interpret it in many different ways! We marvel at beauty and cringe at ugliness, and all of this we do because we see with our eyes, our hearts respond and then our eyes give our emotions away to the world around us. The eyes are a very powerful phenomena; I see them as an outlet of an individual`s emotional language. Beyond what eyes merely look at lays a revelation of the deepest part of an individual: their hurts, pains, joys, anxieties and more. As eyes cloud up with tears, as eyes blink, and in the fluttering of eyelids or in a moments` gaze of an eye…….the heart communicates through the eyes. A person is reduced to ugliness in one man`s eyes and remains an invaluable treasure in another`s…..and then inaudible words are decoded in the eyes of the beholder.

So does beauty lie in the eyes of the beholder? Think about it for a moment before you answer.  Picture a fruit which you buy at a local supermarket, after looking around for the shiniest, juiciest apple; do you deem the rest as less beautiful than the one you chose? Or let`s take people for example, do you look at people and see them as beautiful whilst others you term hideous? I`ve often heard people being called ‘unfortunate looking` or tactlessly put ‘`Ugly``….. all because they don`t dress in accordance to the latest fashion trends…..or if they have a certain complexion, and lack certain features that would otherwise add a dab of attraction to their assumed dullness…or  have a figure deemed ‘unappealing`` so in the eyes of the beholder is a coldblooded warfare of  ‘beautiful` and ‘ugly` knights.

On the contrary beauty has been redefined and weighed upon various man-made scales: where ‘yellow bones`` defeat the ‘brown skins`…..where colored powder; glossy lips and painted nails makeup what is considered beautiful.  I am not a hater, I am for people ‘cleaning-up-good` and taking care of themselves and I am appreciate beauty in any shape, color, form and package it may come in….. It`s the attitude that people have towards what they see as beautiful or ugly, that steals away at the very true sense of beauty.  People`s eyes have turned into

 ‘Beauty-measuring-devices` that gauge peoples worth, and tongues have become lethal weapons on the battlefield of life taking down defenseless men and women and throwing them in a pool of insecurity. I`m encouraged by the scripture that says we are ‘wonderfully and fearfully made…` beyond the clothes we wear, the makeup on our faces and the fresh liquid we dab on our bodies…beyond all of that is a beauty the eyes cannot behold, a beauty everyone should see, yet remains blinded to. It is a beauty that cannot be purchased with coins, a beauty beyond any effort made in our exterior. It is an intangible and infinite beauty that can only be hid in the ventricles of the heart, yet shines forth for the world to see.

I have seen men and women`s esteemed dwindle to nothing at a slight whisper of ‘ugly` and others esteems skyrocket at the mention of ‘cute`…‘handsome` and ‘gorgeous`. How then do we identity ourselves? By the way we look?? By the way others see us? By the beauty that we see with our eyes, or beauty we do not see with our eyes? Do we find value and regard in the way people look or how we see them? Is that where true identity lies? ….just in the outward beauty?  ….And does the way someone look have a bearing on their worth?  Sorry I digressed a little…..think about it though.

The famous saying: ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder`, cannot be far from the truth. I believe eyes can only see what is outside, and because everyone has a different set of eyes, then we see differently and hence the true essence of what is beautiful can so easily be limited or overlooked by the eyes… the essence of beauty can somewhat be distorted by some eyes and overly exaggerated by some.  I believe everyone is beautiful period, it`s a knowledge my eyes can never truly reveal. Whether one has a crooked nose, a disfigured face or a peculiar figure….I see a beauty beyond what meets the eye. When you begin to see a person`s body as a creation of God and a vessel of His power you begin to have a different perception of beauty.  On a lighter note……the song which goes…. “..If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife…” well let`s just say its songs like these that put a label on beauty.  I reckon you stick to the likes of Bruno Mars who sing: “… you`re so beautiful…just the way you are….``

If I haven`t managed to convince you that the world is beautiful, with all the flowers and trees and every human being….If you cannot ‘see` another human being as beautiful regardless of the prescribed notions and standards of what beauty is and isn`t…and if you can still look at another human being and see too many flaws in them and if you can still utter the word ‘ugly` or its synonyms….or say it in the vernacular ……then just know you need to get your eyes checked, because your eyes are a reflection of what is already in your heart and your mind. If what`s inside you is somewhat deficient in wisdom then your vision will be blurred, so book an appointment with the Eye Doctor and while you are at it the Heart Surgeon is just a prayer away so give Him a call…..He will give you a new heart and a perception of what beauty is then you will begin to see that beauty only lies in the eyes of the beholder with good eye sight……and if you beg to differ then know that beauty really lies in the hands of our creator- God!! ENDS

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