The Quote
What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon also be beautiful.
– Sappho (died 610 B.C.) Greek lyric poet
Thoughts on the Quote
There’s a common proverb similar to this one, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, meaning that each person determines for himself whether what he sees is beautiful or not. While this isn’t exactly the same as Sappho´s quote, there is the similarity that there is not a standard of beauty. Someone is only beautiful if another person thinks so. So while most men (and women) agree that the model Gisele Bundchen is beautiful, her beauty is not a fact, not something indisputable.
Moreover, I love the idea that one can become beautiful by being a good person. Think of all the ´good´ people you know; how many would you say are beautiful? While they may not be physically attractive, the pure goodness of their hearts attracts you to them. It’s their inner beauty that makes you want to be around them, to know them, to learn from them. Once you find someone inwardly attractive, the person becomes outwardly good-looking as well. The reverse is true as well: even gorgeous models can become ugly when they show their horrible personalities.
See our post about when to use beautiful vs. pretty vs. handsome.
Who is someone that for you is beautiful? Why?
