by Marty Coleman | May 27, 2011 | John Kenneth Galbraith |
Beauty is ever evolving. Yes, we have certain culturally prevalent inclinations. But they are also changing, they always do. Look at fashion, furniture, appliances, surfaces, landscapes, decorations, makeup, hairstyles, etc. What is the one consistent thing about all of those? They are always changing. ALWAYS.
What about the ‘beauty’ you don’t like? I had a long conversation in a Facebook thread this week. We were talking about some people’s discomfort at how much skin is shown in today’s American society. The other person in the conversation (a woman) thinks most of a woman or man’s body should be seen only by their spouse. She thinks it demeans and dilutes a marriage for people to show off their bodies in skimpy attire and skimpy bathing suits.
The two of us have very different opinions about this. BUT what we do have in common is the belief we both have the right to define beauty for ourselves. She should not be made fun of or pressured to show more than she wants, nor should she be pressured to not state her opinion about what is, in her mind, appropriate to be worn in public.
The flip side is to make sure that, while she has the freedom to express and pursue her own ideas of beauty, she shouldn’t take that idea of beauty and make it absolute for others (and neither should anyone else).
The truth is YOU get to decide what is beautiful, whether in yourself, in others or in the world. You have the right and freedom to pursue your idea of beauty.
Pursue and enjoy it.
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
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by Marty Coleman | Dec 18, 2009 | John Kenneth Galbraith |
Nothing explains the current dilemma in America better than this quote. It is about weight, food, obesity and the diseases that go along with them, but it isn’t just about that.
In my mind excess and plenty isn’t a bad thing. The bad thing is what your mind tends to do when you have excess and plenty. What my mind tends to do is worry about keeping it all. About sustaining that world of excess. About making sure we have plenty.
But what I want my mind to do is think about those I come in contact due to that excess and plenty.
I want to worry less about the food I eat and more about being kind to the waiter who brought it.
I want to worry less about the stuff I am giving away to the local charity and worry more about being respectful and caring to the person who helps take it out of my car.
I want to worry less about thinking how some object of beauty I possess will impress others and more about how that same object can be a delight to others.
I want to worry less about the value of my possessions and more about who helped me possess them in the first place.
I want to worry less about enjoying my vacations and more about creating a vacation others will enjoy as well.
When I am in that place I am happy. It’s then that my mind, in spite of or because of any excess and plenty I have, will be focused in the right direction.
Drawing and commentary © Marty Coleman
“More die in the U.S. of too much food than of too little.” – John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908-2006, American economist and author
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