“Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes.”
-Frida Kahlo
A friend’s Facebook post recently grabbed my attention, a stunning AI-generated portrait, shining youthful energy and flawless beauty. Though my friend’s natural appeal is magnet like and irrefutable with good moral conduct, this digital avatar made her more stylish in look and raised her elegance to new heights. My eyes had another level of ‘sukh’ seeing those fine-looking pictures, hence at times; I also use Snapchat filters to click darling selfies beautifying me more. Ah! That’s bliss! Nainsukh! Yet the hypnotizing fascia and prevue into the future outstretched reflective questions within me. In an era of artificial perfection through technology, are we lost in the pursuit of external perfection or AI-generated illusions? Is this pursuit of digital beauty going to usurp the genuineness of our true selves? Do we crave filters and AI boosts because we’ve lost faith in our internal incandescence?
The craze of social media influencers and the propagation of airbrushed ideals have slanted our perceptiveness of beauty even more than earlier times. We’re allured and seduced by the promise of digital transformation, neglecting that true charisma resides within. And what about the beautification of souls? Does it have no value in this world?
Like skilled artists, life’s experiences with unpredictable designs outline the oeuvre of our essence; our being and we need not to be enmeshed in a virtual reality, where curated avatars and algorithmic validation command our confidence and self-worth. Every smile, every frown, every tear, every cry, and every ephemeral moment that we live, is what matters in life and leaves an unforgettable impression molding the clay of us, creating the chef-d’oeuvre that is our soul. Therefore in our insistent chase for physical beauty, we often overlook the beauty within, avoid listening the voice within.
No doubt, digital beautification brings momentary happiness but that is not long lasting. Why are we so afraid seeing our true selves and confronting genuine reflection? Have we surrendered to the totalitarianism of societal expectations, where conformism outmaneuvers individuality? Shall we not remind ourselves in such situations the words of writer Maya Angelou what she has said- “You alone are enough. You have nothing to prove to anyone.”
The filters of cultural standards, societal expectancies, and subjective reservations only falsify our inner reflection, obfuscating the realistic beauty that lies beneath. We seek validation in the virtual world, forgetting that true elegance resides in the hidden with the tender touch of compassion, the warmth of responsiveness, and the resilience of the human spirit.
It reminds me the words of Greek philosopher Plato who said, “The soul is the most divine, most sacred, and most noble part of man.” Yet, in our digital era, we often disregard this sacred setting of our whole being, spotlighting the external over the internal.
Just as skilled artist equilibriums colors, light and shadow on the canvas while creating his masterpiece, our souls desire harmony between the peripheral and core, external and internal. The beautification of our core requires a deeper probe, a journey into the recesses of our hearts, where love, kindness, and self-awareness anticipate. It stresses that we embrace our imperfections, rejoicing the unique brushstrokes that make us who we are.
In the words of Leonard da Vinci, “Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes.” Do not forget the timeless art of soul-craft. Adorn the inner canvas with the vibrant hues of self-love, forgiveness, and gratitude!
As we face the complications of life, which is full of ups and downs, we need not to forget to honor the majesty of our souls, making it shine more with every passing jiffy. The novelist Daniel Defoe has said, “The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.” But it needs values and good qualities to shine, beautify and polish your inner being than virtual assistance and that we all need to understand.
Leonard da Vinci told that the noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding. Therefore, we should try to understand and celebrate our genuine ‘self’ as it is beautiful in its own way and doesn’t need to seek refuge in the illusionary demesne of AI-generated perfection.
Embrace your true self! Unlock the gates to unbridled confidence! Don’t be fettered by the handcuffs of digital influence! Be the masterpiece you were always meant to be- vibrant, imperfect, and radiantly alive, discarding all earthly validations from outer world, what Rumi has said, you are “not a drop in the ocean”, but “the entire ocean in a drop”.
Dr. Shalini Yadav is a Professor, Writer and Columnist from Jaipur, Rajasthan.