The right question

I remember it was bright Saturday morning, we had gathered for our gavel club meeting in a third floor classroom of our old school. The auditorium was occupied because of someother event that day, so I was squished between my friend and a nerdy looking guy who happened to be my junior.
The prepared speeches had finished and it was time for the impromptu speeches and I was seating in a more relaxed way as I had just deliver my speech and it had gone well. They asked if there were any volunteers and Shreya’s hand shot up (almost just like Hermione’s), as expected. The topic given to her was “Beauty vs. Brains”.
I gave a little snort in my head, the question seemed pointless, for the answer was obvious, Brains! I didn’t understand why any kind of discussion was necessary on that topic. A smart person is always better than a good looking person, for a smart person can create, discover or invent things that once never existed but all that a beautiful person can do is look good, and for how long can you stare at a person’s face and how would that benefit you in anyway.

Shreya started off by choosing brains and went on to explain why she felt that way, and I gave her an approving smile. Meanwhile, the guy sitting next to me turned towards me and said “I would have chosen beauty”. Wait, what?!? Beauty? Why would anyone think that way? It was that junior of mine, who had spoken. Extremely confused, I turned towards him and asked him why. “Well, I don’t know, but that’s what I would choose.” he had said, and before I could say anything further, someone behind us had asked to stop talking. I sat in silence for the rest of the meeting, not paying attention to Shreya’s speech anymore. Beauty huh? I sat thinking. Well, may be he had a point. Good looking people are given more attention these days over brighter people. And how many times have I not watched a movie just because the actors didn’t look cute enough, but anyway went back home convinced that he was just a kid (though he was only a year younger than me) and didn’t know what he was talking about.
I was that girl who went to school in long braided hair and proper uniform with the dupatta hanging appropriately low. I didn’t particularly enjoy make up like most girls would and never paid much attention to my clothes. There were even times when I would ask my dad to get me clothes instead of me picking them myself. I enjoyed reading facts and theories more then the latest fashion trends in the society. I would rather sit for hours learning about black holes than learn how to French braid (and oh boy! was it not a huge thing in school at that time). I believed that “having brains” was the ultimate requirement in life.

A few years had past since then and I was still convinced with my decision, as I had not seen a reason to think otherwise.
Bored on one Saturday evening, I asked the same old question to one of my friends, what he would choose, beauty or brains (shear coincidence, I swear, I don’t know why it’s always on a Saturday). He gave me a strange answer. He said, “I value heart over brains. Simple as that. I prefer someone with great heart, average brain and decent looking”. I was initially annoyed with the answer, felt he was answering like a celebrity, who when asked a question give an answer that’s no way related to the question, I still don’t get why they do that, but let’s save that for another day. It was a simple question, beauty or brains. Why would he talk about an entirely different thing now? Whereas this time when I got myself thinking again, I realised not only did he make sense but that I had been thinking about the wrong question all this while (it was a famous debate topic at that time BTW, as I had learnt).
In how many movies and books have we not seen that the bad guy is almost always the smartest or the prettiest? And it’s always the one with a good heart that wins in the end. Don’t judge me for referring to movies for making decisions and giving the seal of validation, but just think about it. “Great heart”, he had said. How did that not even cross my mind? Why was I convinced that being smart is the ultimate requirement in life? When I myself had dealt with people who were really smart but never knew how to treat people well, before. And, isn’t that the quality we admire the most in people but choose to take it for granted? Having a high functioning brain or a luscious face is definitely attractive but unknowingly, we are always attracted to the one with a good heart, but never realise it until its gone!
Vignesh was right; And also posed a new question for us: ‘Does a person have the ability to empathize, care and treat people well or not, does he/she have a heart or not?’ as, at the end of the day that’s what really matters and that’s what makes us human.
Having a good brain and a good heart to be able to judge what’s right and what’s necessary, now that’s beauty.
So, the next time you are bored on a Saturday, give this a thought; Make sure its a Saturday, it might not work otherwise. ;P
P.S. Vignesh Balaji, I don’t know if this is what you meant by what you said but it definitely made me change my perspective, thanks.

