Friday, August 12, 2005

Health Consciousness...

As a sequel to the previous post. It merits mention that the author felt that it was high time we looked for the inner beauty in ourselves and others. This article presents a different viewpoint on the subject of physical well-being.

Is it wrong to be physically conscious. Is it all right to wallow in self-pity over our seemingly ill-toned and ill-structured bodies. Is it not time now to do something about them.

Yes. It is time. But then, why should one do it? Is it to get into the books and looks of the people around us. I would say a definite big NO to that. The only sensible answer would be - for our very own physical well-being. Obesity is known to cause certain fatal complications later on in life. Moreover, a well-toned body gives that divine peaceful easy feeling. Exercise keeps one active too. I have seen 60+ men jogging their way to glory. So looking at it at the micro level of our very own self, we need to have a well-toned body.

But then, in some cases, people desperate to put on weight stay lean despite their eating a lot of junk stuff. On the other side, people desperate to lose weight remain as they are despite their compulsive dieting (which at times reaches heights of paranoia). In such cases, I guess we need to learn to accept ourselves as we are; and yet continue to exercise to keep ourselves "fit".

Well, Why do I seem to contradict myself, every now and then? Its all got to do with paradigms.

PS: Btw, for those factors beyond our control and influence, like our skin color, we have to be happy as we are. Commenting on the beauty of a person based on skin alone is down-right vulgar and shameful.


PS2: I have known of instances where a person with spectacles looks down upon an another because she/he is wearing spectacles. An inexcusable case of double standards.

4 comments:

SB said...

I fully agree that beauty should never be skin deep but isn't it instinctive of human nature to base their first opinions on outward appearances alone. I mean
the whole advertising industry thrives on making products look more jazzy and attractive on the outside to catch the audience's eye.A more functional but less attractive product may often lose out.We have to learn not to become slaves of appearances alone which is both foolish and downnright unreasonable.

Rangakrishnan Srinivasan said...

Saurav: True, very true.

Where were you all this while? Busy????

Anonymous said...

I am going to take a contrarian view to my last comment. This time, I say that good looks and outer beauty are important to a certain extent because they instill a lot of self-confidence in a person. And self-confidence in turn can help us cross our limitations in a major way...

Rangakrishnan Srinivasan said...

Shalini : What can I say? I must agree with you.

But then, agreed that beauty does play a major role in boosting one's self-confidence; what kind of self-confidence are you talking about. Is it the acceptance of the women in the masculine society or that of the men in the feminine society? If you look at it, deep within, this must be the kind of acceptance, right?

Doesn't one's maturity, intelligence and emotional balance play a much bigger role in one's self-confidence.

Well, I truly don't know.