By K.T.Maran Social, Environmental & Animal Activist
Let’s be honest: we live in a world that’s obsessed with appearances. Scroll through social media for five minutes, and you’re hit with perfect selfies, flawless filters, and bodies that look airbrushed in real life. Ads, influencers, even the shows we binge—they all send the same message: how you look matters most. And sure, enjoying beauty is part of being human. But when looks become the main way we measure our worth—or other people’s worth—something important gets pushed aside.
This isn’t just a "woman’s issue" anymore, if it ever really was. Yes, women have always felt the pressure to look a certain way. But now? Men are right there in it too. Fitness goals, grooming routines, even the pressure to look good in a thumbnail—it’s everywhere. The real problem isn’t that we care about beauty. It’s that we’ve started to forget the quieter, deeper qualities that actually make someone beautiful over time: kindness, honesty, humility, strength of character.
Inner beauty might not photograph well, but it’s what holds a life together. It shows up in how someone treats a waiter, how they handle disappointment, how they show up for a friend in need. And unlike our faces or bodies, which change no matter what we do, inner qualities only get richer and deeper with age. A person who’s built on solid values can face heartbreak, failure, or loss without falling apart. Meanwhile, someone who’s spent everything on looking “perfect” might still feel empty and anxious inside.
This all points to a bigger imbalance—between the stuff we can see and touch, and the stuff that feeds our spirit. Our culture loves quick wins, instant likes, and shiny things. But we’re not just bodies. We have hearts and souls that need attention too. When we ignore that part of ourselves, no amount of beauty products or gym selfies will make us feel whole.
Real well-being comes from balance. Taking care of your body and appearance is fine—it’s part of self-respect. But when that care is paired with inner growth—learning to be more patient, more honest, more loving—then everything changes. You can appreciate beauty without being ruled by it. You can succeed without losing yourself.
There’s a beautiful line that puts it simply:
“Let your adornment be the love of God and not that which perisheth.” In other words, wear what lasts. Another passage says:
“O Son of Spirit! Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.”
That’s a reminder that our real value was never in our cheekbones or abs—it’s in who we choose to become.
‘Abdu’l‑Bahá put it even more directly: “Beauty is of two kinds: material and spiritual. Material beauty is temporary, while spiritual beauty is everlasting.” And then this gem: “Strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers.”
Imagine that—what if your everyday choices, your patience, your honesty, your small acts of kindness, were the real beauty people noticed?
Here in Malaysia, with our mix of cultures and faiths, we already have deep roots in values like modesty, respect, and integrity. Those aren’t old-fashioned ideas—they’re anchors. Families, schools, and community leaders can all help young people see past the filtered versions of life. We can teach kids—and remind ourselves—that a person’s worth isn’t in their jawline or their follower count. It’s in how they live.
Young people especially need help navigating this crazy, image-obsessed world. When we encourage them to think critically about what they see online, to accept themselves as they are, and to care more about character than looks, we’re giving them real armor. The kind that doesn’t crack when a filter fails or a wrinkle appears.
So no, we don’t need to throw away our skincare routines or stop enjoying fashion. But we do need to expand what we mean by “beauty.” Because real beauty isn’t just what you see in the mirror. It’s how you treat someone who can’t help you back. It’s how you get back up when life knocks you down. It’s the mark you leave on your community.
In a world that can’t stop staring at screens, the quiet, stubborn strength of inner beauty might just be the most powerful thing we’ve got left.
K.T. Maran (maran.kt@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.