Beauty

This is an excerpt taken from the book "Eleven Minutes" by Paolo Coelho page 17

The power of beauty: what must be the world like for ugly women? She had some girlfriends who no one ever noticed at parties or who men were never interested in. Incredible though it might seem, these girls placed far greater value on the little love they received, suffered in silence when they were rejected and tried to face the future by looking for other things beyond getting all dressed up for someone else. They were more independent, took more interest in themselves, although, in Maria's imagination, the world for them must be unbearable.

I look at pretty woman who men drool over, and despite the smiles and compliments they received from men, they would never be satisfied in themselves or others. They would be in constant mindset that they have to be beautiful all the time, else, people will be turned off or get disappointment at them. Everyone's attention is towards those who are beautiful and thus they are always under the public's scrutiny, always awaiting for them to make a mistake in order to assure the onlookers that they're not all that. Being beautiful has it's advantages, they get more opportunities but also envy from other girls. It's also hard to know, if a guy is interested in you just because of your beauty. I think even though these girls make a fool of themselves, it will always be alright just so they can have her as an arm candy and be the envy of other men. Envy seems to go hand in hand with being beautiful. Unlike Maria. I think the world is more unbearable for the beautiful woman.

I for one am not beautiful and I love the freedom it offers. I can always be myself and people see me more as me. I don't have to think about impressing anyone or keep up the idea they have of me. I may be invisible to other people, but that's the beauty of it.