Beauty With A 'Blemish'

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 13 November 2024 While reading Pakistani short story writer Zahida Hina's stories in Urdu, I came across a very pithy observation, "Husn Mein Jab Halka-Sa Nuqs Ho Toh Husn Mukammal Hota Hai" (Beauty is complete when there's a dot of 'blemish'). Very true! This reminded me of George Santayana's famous quote, "The absence of flaw in beauty is itself a flaw." This quote encapsulates the depth and intricacy of aesthetics. While society often idealizes flawless perfection, Santayana challenges this notion, suggesting that the very absence of flaws in beauty is, in fact, a flaw. By removing the imperfections and idiosyncrasies that make something beautiful, we strip it of its uniqueness and character. It is these flaws that give depth, authenticity, and meaning to beauty, as they create a contrast and highlight the aspects that are truly exceptional. Santayana's quote serves as a reminder that flawlessness should not be the ultimate goal, as it overlooks the inherent imperfection that contributes to true beauty. French author and playwright Guy de Maupassant was of the view that anything flawless and unblemished lacked the natural vivacity, vitality and verve. So, all the women he fell in love with had a minor defect- A defect makes a woman perfect! Moon is adored despite its craters being faintly visible from the earth. Actress Mumtaz's pug nose and Rekha's square jaw lent an air of Je Ne Sais Quoi (an appealing quality that cannot be adequately described or expressed) to both the divas. When the 'defect' is there, yet not easily perceptible, it makes the person or object all the more beautiful. Christine Valmy, legendary esthetician and a pioneer in the field of skin care in the US, believed that women with a very slight squint (often in the left eye) looked even more gorgeous. There have been famous actresses and models in India with a slight squint. Humans easily relate to those having minor (cosmetic) defects because that can enable all of us to have a sense of cathartic uniformity and equality. Too much symmetry is plastic, nay robotic. It's the universal asymmetry that's desirable. This also makes us generous, even magnanimous, towards things and individuals with 'defects' and refines us to become social egalitarians. ---- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/beauty-blemish/d/133693 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism