Pretty or Beautiful?

-
You look pretty, or
You look beautiful.
What should I say? 
And is there even a difference?
It depends on the context and what you really intend to say.
Both are flattering, compliments for a good appearance.
But beauty runs deeper than the looks.
Pretty being the outward appearance,
Beautiful describes us inside out.
A combination of our inner core, thoughts, attitude, actions, character. 
One can be pretty but not beautiful and vice-versa. 

How many people care about this subtle difference, I ask?
Even when the other side does not pay attention,
Recognizing the difference will make you conscious about your own thinking and outlook.
What matters to you, what is it that you get drawn to.
Would you like to keep it the same way or change?
Know that, there's no right or wrong here.
And the same person can be pretty at one time and come across as beautiful at another.
What's important is to recognize that while the words are similar but
they vary in their depths of assessing us as a person and are not the same.

Ask yourself and take a minute before responding,
Which one have you been inclined to till date?
And which one will you prefer going forward - pretty or beautiful? 
Wait, I heard someone say - can I have both?! 
If so, let me rephrase the question, given a choice what would you choose?

These lines by Melissa Bernstein, Author of "LifeLines" echoes my own sentiment.

                                 "The most precious gifts in life
                                   Can't be detected with the eyes
                                   But must inundate the heart
                                   Which filters substance from the guise" 

Thanks for reading. If you like this post or have any feedback, do let me know in the comments box. This pushes me to continue writing. 

Dippy




Comments

Amit Airon said…
Great post. I never thought about this subtle difference. Most of the times, they were just synonyms to me.
But going forward, it won’t be the same.

What I prefer? Well, depends! Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. I can’t decide on my own whether i want to look pretty or beautiful. Others will decide.
And as audience, I guess beautiful is always preferred over pretty to me.
August 2, 2023 at 9:30 PM
Dippy Aggarwal said…
Hi Amit. Sure, beauty is subjective and a matter of personal opinion. But when it comes to deciding what identifies us (our own self) more, we should be the judge on how we want to shape ourselves and not see it through other's lens. And unless we know the difference in these two otherwise similar words, we will miss focusing on what truly matters to us.

Thanks for reading and following up!
August 3, 2023 at 9:40 AM
Bharti said…
Beautiful piece of writing! It's quite relevant in this era of social media and a great reminder on how one can be more thoughtful before posting or responding 🙂
August 3, 2023 at 11:42 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hold your ground

-
Image
I recently bought a new car. I had been driving my old car for about a decade now and it was a second-hand car. It was going very well (being Toyota) and I would be lying if I try to justify my new purchase by citing any major issues with my old car. The reality is I needed a change and there are few features that I had started looking forward to, especially after having started a full-time job and knowing that I can afford them now. Earlier being in graduate school, it was a luxury to even have a nice, reliable car. Also, having driven my old car for a while now, I had the satisfaction that I have enjoyed my old ride and was making an informed decision about the change now.  So, what is it that I am trying to get to by sharing these details here, you may ask? Well, I want to share one principle that got reinforced in my mind as I reflect on a decision I took based on it. And as you might guess, the decision is related to my car buying experience.  I was being nudged frequentl...
Read more

Hobbies and leisure time - a catch 22 situation?

-
Let me start by directly asking your opinion on the title. Agree or not really?  In my opinion, these two concepts of hobby and leisure time can present themselves as a chicken and egg scenario for some of us amid our busy schedules. In other words, should you have hobbies and then figure out some time to enjoy them OR the other way around where if you get some free time, only then you can think of following some hobby?  While I find myself naturally inclined to the first case where I already have hobbies and I try to make room for them from time to time (just like writing that I am doing now), I also know that many of us struggle with our busy schedules. I have heard from friends and family on how sometimes 24 hours are not even enough for the core tasks, leave aside hobbies. But here's one perspective I would like to share with those of you who may not be able to dedicate time for hobbies in their current lives.  In your current routine, you may not feel that you are mi...
Read more