Monday, April 13, 2009

Pretty People Have Problems Too

I've made an important discovery.

Being attractive is not all it's cracked up to be.

I have been deceived for many years, thinking beautiful people have an easier life than me. For instance, I was watching a television anchor one day and was absolutely star struck by how pretty he was. He was interviewing the Jonas brothers, I think, and doing all kinds of crazy stuff with them. No matter what sort of outfit they put him in, he looked awesome. He wasn't doing anything remarkable, but he was so good-looking, you wanted to watch him and root for him. "Can you imagine how easy his life must be?" I asked my husband, "People must just fall all over him. He can get anyone to do anything for him just by smiling their way. He doesn't have to be good at anything. All he has to do is show up." I thought him the perfect example of how pretty people get ahead in life because of their looks.

But the other day I was watching two beautiful people interact. Both the man and woman were young and extremely attractive, with pretty faces and spectacular bodies to match. As they talked there was this little flirty thing going on, which was entertaining for me, but I wondered what their significant others would think. For the first time it occurred to me how very good-looking people face temptations I do not. It would be easy to get wrapped up in flirtatious encounters and let them go too far. Do they deal with that every day? What must it be like to have men eager to talk to you all the time? How do they handle the attention appropriately?

Either they have people falling all over them all the time or they face the other extreme. They are left alone because others think they are "out of their league" or think too highly of themselves. Do the pretty people of the world have more wrong assumptions made about them than others? Do individuals truly hate them only because they're beautiful?

There's a lot of burden. It's time for me to quit being jealous.


4 comments:

Susannah said...

So true Tami! Beautiful people have no guarantees in life.

In fact, I would guess that people who focus outward are the ones who thrive.

Case in point. I once read that the Queen of England is known as an engaging converstationalist at state dinners... because she asks her tablemates questions about themselves.

Moral of story: Get other people talking about their interests, and they're sure to like YOU!

Monkey-Farmer-38 said...

Thanks for your post. Like you I have often been jealous of the pretty people in my life too. However I guess the grass always looks greener on the other side until you get there and realize it's...just more grass.

Betsy Markman said...

I think we "not so gorgeous" types have another freedom that the gorgeous ones don't have:

Aging in general just isn't as scary if you don't have any great looks to lose!
At least, that's what I tell myself after taking an honest look in the mirror...

Anonymous said...

I, too, find myself getting jealous of others who have no worries about their bodyshape or looks. But, oddly enough, I actually get more jealous of women who can sing. I sometimes feel like I would give my right arm to be able to open my mouth and have something fantastically beautiful come from it. I would love, even just for one day, to be able to sing praises to God and have it be something sweet and beautiful. Instead, it comes across like a foghorn! It's awful!! So if you ever feel this way again, think of what you have that others long for - Beautiful praise far outweighs exterior proportions! :) Denise R.