An attempt to answer the age old question
I normally refrain from discussions that rarely add any value or are sure to be going nowhere since they've occupied the minds of some great thinkers of the human era. My take is that we should focus more on things that matter to ourselves and people around us rather than wander places without getting any work done.
This restrain that we enforce upon ourselves is hard to contain when you consider that an average newspaper in this modern age contains more information than a period journal of the 1700s. So much to think, so much to comprehend, so much to deliberate though not all thoughts improve productivity of any sort. That however rarely makes me pass on a breakfast newspaper reading session. So I sat down on a Sunday morning to go through some of the extra sections that I generally ignore as they're more of self help, gardening or areas that don't interest me. As I came across this article where the author pointed out how only the 'beauty/looks' aspect of women is always pointed out rather than judge them on other qualities, it got me thinking. Are we still not over this? At least in the more developed parts of the world and countries where gender bias is little to non existent? The author goes on saying how the 'Lakshman Rekha' drawn to protect Sita in the Ramayana shows men being in charge of everything, not letting women being in control of the situation, it really intrigued me. Wasn't it a case of Lakshmana being a warrior and Sita, well, not a warrior. It for her protection that the line was drawn, not to indicate anything else.
In fact we should be living in a cave or a shell to draw conclusions that women do not have equal/ample opportunities in this world. Granted it's not spread all over, but the situation is definitely a lot better. I have quite a few close friends who are independent, strong and have seen more facets of life than I personally have. This is something I deeply respect. Coming back to the article, the quintessential question by the author was why is beauty highlighted more than any other aspect in women? For instance, in the business world or politics or sport, why do we point out that someone made a fashion disaster rather than point out that skills exhibiting in terms of presentation or leadership or grit? Very interesting indeed.
From what I can see, no matter what you read, believe or follow, humans are wired to judge a book by it's cover. It's not a matter of being shallow to expect someone to look good, but that's the way nature is. Why do we marvel at the beauty of something like the Himalayas and just pass on a few hills you encounter on a highway? There's something hidden in them, the X-factor which few can decipher and translate to words. Not to sound rude, but name one person who is ready to accept a short, fat, balding man as her partner. None! Public approval is the reason top social networking sites are so famous. No one wants to be tagged in a photo where they look compromised (considering the fact that the composition of the picture will be conveying a different idea all together). Fashion, style, grooming have penetrated all walks of life and this has never been more evident.
Ultimately it all boils down to the fact that we all appreciate symmetry, good looks and a reasonable attitude from each other. I'm all in for gender equality and happy that women are making inroads to pretty much every sector including the army, but please let's not rant about such things shall we. It makes us seem narrow minded.
This restrain that we enforce upon ourselves is hard to contain when you consider that an average newspaper in this modern age contains more information than a period journal of the 1700s. So much to think, so much to comprehend, so much to deliberate though not all thoughts improve productivity of any sort. That however rarely makes me pass on a breakfast newspaper reading session. So I sat down on a Sunday morning to go through some of the extra sections that I generally ignore as they're more of self help, gardening or areas that don't interest me. As I came across this article where the author pointed out how only the 'beauty/looks' aspect of women is always pointed out rather than judge them on other qualities, it got me thinking. Are we still not over this? At least in the more developed parts of the world and countries where gender bias is little to non existent? The author goes on saying how the 'Lakshman Rekha' drawn to protect Sita in the Ramayana shows men being in charge of everything, not letting women being in control of the situation, it really intrigued me. Wasn't it a case of Lakshmana being a warrior and Sita, well, not a warrior. It for her protection that the line was drawn, not to indicate anything else.
In fact we should be living in a cave or a shell to draw conclusions that women do not have equal/ample opportunities in this world. Granted it's not spread all over, but the situation is definitely a lot better. I have quite a few close friends who are independent, strong and have seen more facets of life than I personally have. This is something I deeply respect. Coming back to the article, the quintessential question by the author was why is beauty highlighted more than any other aspect in women? For instance, in the business world or politics or sport, why do we point out that someone made a fashion disaster rather than point out that skills exhibiting in terms of presentation or leadership or grit? Very interesting indeed.
From what I can see, no matter what you read, believe or follow, humans are wired to judge a book by it's cover. It's not a matter of being shallow to expect someone to look good, but that's the way nature is. Why do we marvel at the beauty of something like the Himalayas and just pass on a few hills you encounter on a highway? There's something hidden in them, the X-factor which few can decipher and translate to words. Not to sound rude, but name one person who is ready to accept a short, fat, balding man as her partner. None! Public approval is the reason top social networking sites are so famous. No one wants to be tagged in a photo where they look compromised (considering the fact that the composition of the picture will be conveying a different idea all together). Fashion, style, grooming have penetrated all walks of life and this has never been more evident.
Ultimately it all boils down to the fact that we all appreciate symmetry, good looks and a reasonable attitude from each other. I'm all in for gender equality and happy that women are making inroads to pretty much every sector including the army, but please let's not rant about such things shall we. It makes us seem narrow minded.
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