When one thinks about beauty, they normally are thinking about what a person is on the outside which is along the lines of elegant and fashionable. However Armstrong’s essay is trying to stray away from that perception of beauty and move on to a new perception which is more complex. Armstrong’s statement, “To regard beauty as a luxury adornment or a social signifier was to miss the true potential of the experience,” means that people who focus on their social status and possessions are not truly grasping the real meaning behind beauty. Beauty is something that comes from within. It’s not about what other people view you by but its by how you view yourself as a person. Armstrong’s states that beauty “elevate[s] the soul”. This quote is saying that Armstrong believes that true beauty doesn’t come from who you are on the outside, but rather who you are on the inside that makes you who you are.

I believe beauty is so much more than just looks. I agree with Armstrong that beauty comes from within. I think that beauty is something that you are or you aren’t. What makes someone beautiful is their actions that they take. If someone is constantly doing good deeds for people and putting others before themselves, I believe that that is truly beautiful and something magical. A kind hearted person is beautiful in my mind, thats all it takes. You can be the most gorgeous person in the world but if your heart isn’t in the right place and your a snob, she might be pretty, but she’s definitely not beautiful and anyone would be able to tell just by talking to that person.