During these perilous, apocalyptic two years, many singles have become more and more preoccupied with the fact that they’re single. They wonder if they’ll ever marry. And since in-person dates have become temporarily archaic, people have become very suspicious (haha) about who’s really beautiful in real life. Well, you know how your on-screen version can be the flawless version of you – even at 3am!
So this made me remember what my male friends used to say about women – women who are beautiful, and who are not. You’d be surprised how animated, opinionated, and unstoppable men can be when they talk about this!
So let this off-tangent article be a brief respite, if you will, from our very, very troubled times…
Guys say there are women who are flat-out beautiful. The moment you see them, you just know they’re beautiful. You don’t have to convince yourself. Neither do the guys have to convince each other that the woman they’re looking at is beautiful. An absolute 10.
Then they say there are women who just THINK they are beautiful, so many might not agree with them. This is hard, the guys say, because women who think they’re beautiful (but really are not) tend to flaunt themselves. They compensate by being fashion plates.
They take pictures of themselves a lot, and leave you no choice but to look at their pictures. They make innuendos about how beautiful they are, or tell stories (imagined or not) about how guys stare at them and don’t leave them alone. Hard to believe, say the guys, but you just have to let it slide.
Guys say it’s hard to understand why a woman would insist she’s beautiful when she’s not.
Maybe her boyfriend or husband or friends tell her that she is, for whatever reason. But she ought to know better, the guys say. Women who think they’re beautiful, but are not, make others feel uneasy and uncomfortable.
Then they say there are women who are beautiful but don’t know it. These are rare. Very rare. They’re the best ones to watch, the guys say, because they’re so natural. So unself-conscious. So clueless that they’re beautiful. No matter how hard they try, they cannot, cannot, cannot ever make themselves ugly. They’re nice to watch and be with, say the guys. They’re cool and beautiful.
Then, they say there are women who are beautiful and who know it. They are rather complicated, the guys say. Some are self-conscious and artificial. Some are annoyingly vain. But some carry it rather well — however, they won’t ever let you forget how beautiful they are. That can be quite annoying, the guys say.
And then, there are beautiful women who are shy. They know they’re beautiful — well, because they’ve been told a million times. But still, they’re shy. They’d rather that you didn’t say at all how beautiful they are. You’re not to stare at them either. They’ll get quite annoyed if you do that, so they’ll quickly walk away.
Then there are women, they say, who are semi-beautiful. And semi-plain. You won’t take a second look at them, but they’re all right to look at. They’re middle-of-the-roaders. Guys say that some of these women compensate by dressing up well. By being good conversationalists. By being smart and interesting. And these are the women that many men end up marrying. They’re not high maintenance. They’re not intimidating. On their wedding day, with make-up and all, they can even look fabulous.
Guys say that if a woman is beautiful but not too smart, it can be a real pain. Nice to look at – but, well, not so nice to listen to.
However, they say that some men will settle for a beautiful wife who’s not too bright if she has a great personality or can cook up a storm. Or can manage a home well. But just get ready for a lifetime of not-too-deep conversations.
Now the real challenge and the real catch, they say, is the woman who’s both beautiful and intelligent. The cliché category is “Beauty and Brains”. They’re quite intimidating. Very hard to handle. Very hard to replace, should the relationship fail. And attractive to the opposite sex. The results could be disastrous, whether they’re married or single.
However, the upside is that they’re magnets for success. They’re slam-dunk assets. If the boss is impressed by a man’s beautiful and intelligent wife, then success comes easier.
Of course guys are visual creatures. So they say that they’re attracted, first of all, by what they see. The true test, however, is the woman’s character. She can be beautiful, and she can be intelligent as well — but if she’s lacking in character, that’s a monstrous problem.
The comforting thing is, at the end of the day, water seeks its own level.
