What Happens When Looks Fade? (And Why Are We Still So Concerned About Them?)

[GaryA]

What do you suppose will happen if they all sit together?

Singles Forum Post-Of-The-Year

( STILL laughing )

 

[GaryA]

(God rest his soul)

I just hope he had true faith in God when he was alive and is now in heaven...

 

[GaryA]

What I loved most about Elvis, and Micky Mantle, two icons from the 1950's, is their country innocence and general decency. Elvis was criticized for being a something of a tempter of young people down the wrong path with rock and roll music.
I look at young Elvis, and young Mantle and see two of the most decent celebrities before fame got to them in later years. Even then, you you could see how humble in their hearts they were and what great core values they had.

My dad told me that he used to run around with Elvis - and a small bunch of other guys - riding motorcycles - before Elvis became well known. ( high school years, or just after, I think )

He says Elvis was "just an average guy" - like all of the other guys they ran around with -- meaning, that he was decent, had morals, etc. - in other words, he was "an all-around good guy"...

Elvis was one of my favorites, also.

 

[GaryA]

Almost brings tears to my eyes to see how fall we have fallen in this country.

Yes - it is "a terrible shame" how much has changed ( for the worst ) - and, how low we have sunk - in the past 50 years...

 

[GaryA]

One of them made the comment during cast interviews that a lot of people who saw the movie gave feedback that she was too old for him, which was rather ironic because they are roughly the same age. Some of it might have been the character, but it might also indicate that general perceptions rate a 25 (or 27) year old woman as somehow much older than a 25 year old man (don't know if that's anywhere near the ages they were at the time, just pulling that number out of thin air). Just something I thought about while reading this thread.

And --- he has a "boyish" face...

( Just my opinion. )

 

[GaryA]

I understand what you're saying, Gary.

But it's curious to me then that if this is what's governing the survival of these people... Why would the devil be able to preserve his own from, say, the 60's... but not the 80's?

Did some kind of contract expire in that he was no longer able to keep a good number of "his" 80's pop culture "icons" alive?

Now of course, it's not our place to judge the spiritual status of these people. But according to what you're saying, why would the earlier generations be chosen to carry on, while the more recent are dying in droves?

It is a bit more complex than that. My statement was an over-all generalization. There are many factors to consider...

Might not have so much to do with the devil's intervention, might be the combination of more potent drugs that people are using and addicted to and the difference between a generation that rebelled against their society's morals and a generation that never received any of those morals to begin with. Let's face it, life's pretty meaningless when you think you're just another purposeless animal that nature somehow magically spit out.

This is one of them.

Satan is not in 'perfect' control of his followers. Sin has a way of "snow-balling" and getting out-of-control. People take greater risks, etc.

Another one is the fact that Satan kills his own, too -- when they do not "measure up" to what he wants from them. Especially, if they are not willing to "go the distance" for Satan. He is willing to kill his followers on occasion as an "example" to "keep the rest in line"... ( "It happens all the time." )

Another one is the fact that he has so many more "avid" followers these days ( there has been exponential growth in the past few decades ) -- he can [ kind of ] "afford" to loose more of them; after all, "there are plenty more where those came from"...

These are the kinds of things you have to realize and think about. And, we are only "touching the surface" here. It gets much deeper...

It is complex. There are many factors.

I believe that "an extra effort" is made by [ the Luciferian bunch ] to "preserve" those [ followers of Satan ] that "tow the line" the best.

 

[GaryA]

Yes - it is "a terrible shame" how much has changed ( for the worst ) - and, how low we have sunk - in the past 50 years...

At first, I was going to use the word 'worse' -- but then, I decided that 'worst' was better - because, what-we-have-now is as bad as it has ever been...

 

[Galatea]

Might not have so much to do with the devil's intervention, might be the combination of more potent drugs that people are using and addicted to and the difference between a generation that rebelled against their society's morals and a generation that never received any of those morals to begin with. Let's face it, life's pretty meaningless when you think you're just another purposeless animal that nature somehow magically spit out.

You have a very good point with the potency of drugs that are available now as opposed to the drugs in the 1960s. I know acid, LSD, and PCP were highly potent- but marijuana in the 1960s and 1970s did not nearly have as much THC as the marijuana that is grown today. The plants have been bred to be more potent, and therefore more addictive and dangerous. Some kids look at people who smoked pot in the 60s and 70s and see that the people are still functioning, so they think pot is no big deal. They are not aware that the pot that is available today is stronger than the pot available then.

 

[Johnjo]

You have a very good point with the potency of drugs that are available now as opposed to the drugs in the 1960s. I know acid, LSD, and PCP were highly potent- but marijuana in the 1960s and 1970s did not nearly have as much THC as the marijuana that is grown today. The plants have been bred to be more potent, and therefore more addictive and dangerous. Some kids look at people who smoked pot in the 60s and 70s and see that the people are still functioning, so they think pot is no big deal. They are not aware that the pot that is available today is stronger than the pot available then.

Improvement is a bad thing now? Those poor hippies back in the 60s had to accept suboptimal pot?

I'm sure glad to see that consumers rights are handled more responsibly this day and age.

Not everything was better before.

 

[Johnjo]

At first, I was going to use the word 'worse' -- but then, I decided that 'worst' was better - because, what-we-have-now is as bad as it has ever been...

Clearly, the pot is better now, so it's not all bad.

 

[Lynx]

Well it's not all bad. I hear acid isn't as strong as it once was. Or at least there's a chat quote to that effect.

"I thought I had heard everything. And then I did hear everything, and I heard it in colors... man I miss pharmaceutical grade acid."

 

[bingbing]

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[OwzK]

As we all know, getting older is inevitable, and beauty fades away. The Bible tells us instead to concentrate on our relationship with God and allow Him to renew our hearts and minds.

But yet, why do we pay so much attention to beauty, even as believers? Anyone who says that looks aren't important to believers probably hasn't participated in any "Christian" dating events.

We tell ourselves that what's inside is what really counts... Yet we torture ourselves to try to look as good as we can, for as long as we can... And we often find ourselves gravitating to the best-looking (at least, in our eyes) people... As Christians, we are supposed to be better than that. But how?

* Do you ever think about what will happen when your own looks fade, or, if you marry someone you find to be good-looking... what will happen when they don't look as good to you (or everyone else) anymore?

* What are you thoughts about trying to hang on to youth and beauty as it fades away? (Many people don't just see it as vanity, but rather, trying to hold on to their spouse.)

* What do you do to remind yourself to look at another person's inner beauty, rather than concentrating all your attention to the outside?

As I get older, I know that I sometimes struggle more with trying to define the boundaries between self-care and self-preservation. Do any of you?

I would love to hear your feelings in response to these questions and anything else having to do with the topic of looks.

Please feel free to post your thoughts... and let your inner beauty shine.

I don't know if this is for everyone, or if this is just me. But with me, beauty evolves. Like some of the girls I found gorgeous when I was 18, girls who look the same as they do now, just look too young for me now. My personal view of beauty changes with how I age. Like, an older man might find an older woman attractive that would seem ugly to a younger person, but to the older man she's attractive cos that's how he sees beauty, and that's how it is in my view with me.

Like, for me beauty evolves with time. A picture of some celebrity singer in her 20's might seem attractive to me now, but like, in 10 years time, I might not find the same picture of her attractive anymore because of How I would have aged and cos I find women around my age more attractive to me.

 

[Lynx]

OwzK: Probably your perspective changes as you age because your understanding ages. When you're a teen you see a 50 year old as "old coot." When you're 50 you understand how those lines got on your peers' faces because you have gone through life yourself. With experience comes understanding, and what once looked like an old coot now looks like someone who has the life experience to match yours.

Kind of like how when you read the bible multiple times you get more out of it each time - not because the Bible has changed since last time you read it, but because your experience, hence your perspective has changed since last time you read it.

 

[bingbing]

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[maxwel]

What happens when your looks fade?


That's kind of presuming a person has good looks to start with.

 

[JesusRules1]

I really do not think looks can fade too much up to 60 years old,which genetics has a big role in it.But if you take good care of yourself,eat properly,exercise,drink plenty of water,stay away from make up which I believe is actually not good for your skin,but is a temporary solution,then even if you are on the older side,let's say 70 years old and above,you will at least not look like a terrible 70 years old and up person,but still look like you have vigor and pep in your face.

I do not worry about it for I drink water up the wazoo,eat good staying away from sugar for the most part,and exercise,and have very good genes every which way,but loose,like good genes with no exercise will carry a person farther than bad genes with exercise,but every person can decide whether they want to dog themselves out,or not,for it is their life.

Some people the way they conduct their life seem like they do not care how they look,how they feel,and if they are in good shape,which escapes my understanding.

 

[Shepherdsgirl]

In my opinion, looks lie in the eyes of the beholder. In God's eyes, we are a pearl of great price. When we get older, we don't look as young as we used to look, and most women I notice everyday work daily to get attention from the opposite sex. I am going through a separation/divorce at the moment, because my husband couldn't keep his vows to me when it come to the marriage bed.....but I am not defined by what he thinks, or what he has done. I am loved by God unconditionally as we all are. He took our punishment on the cross over 2000 years ago for us, even when we didn't deserve such Mercy. I did not mention about my situation now to slander my husband in any way, but I am telling any woman who believes in themselves that they aren't beautiful, or measure up to what this world thinks about them. Who cares what this world's standards are to when it comes to beauty, love or self-worth. God has already had that for us since before the Garden of Eden. Before Creation.......
Proverbs 31 speaks about a beautiful woman who is confident, skillful, full of wisdom and thoughtful. We don't need the opposite sex's opinion about who we should be, dress, look etc......All that matters is what God thinks about us and our character. Yes, don't get me wrong its nice to feel loved by someone and beautiful if your spouse or boyfriend makes you feel that way. But, their opinion shouldn't be the most important one we rely on.

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

I think I must be strange. I don't go for the pretty boy look.
I prefer a face with character, a bit rough around the edges.
Oh and bald men are very attractive, their smile reaches right up to their forehead.
I think grey neat hair on a man looks very distinguished too!

Soooo if you are gray haired or bald, have a bit of a crooked nose. Then you
are in with a chance.

The "rough around the edges" made me laugh. Before I met God and that part of my life began to just fade peacefully away, I had an aunt who used to always say when I brought a man to dinner, "you like your men rolled around in the mud a little bit."


As I'm reading this thread and thinking about all the answers, my mind goes a strange way - to the name Hollywood. A Holly is a tree and of course wood comes from trees and God always said: they are dumb idols made of wood, that cannot speak or save you...so...the name is odd.

This happened to me too during the "bailout" a few years ago - "bail"/ "baal." And how the "baals" were gods they worshipped, and how their gods had fallen and so they devised a plan to pick them up and hammer them back into place so they could go on saving and keeping them safe once again...

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

"True beauty is not how a person looks. True beauty is how a person reacts when the waiter gets his order wrong. When a person is dealing with unpleasant things, that is when you see whether he is beautiful or ugly."

Reminds me of something I read. I'll probably mangle it - that goes something like...the true measure of a man is in how well he bears up under adversity.
Getting a well done steak when you ordered medium rare is a small adversity. If he throws a fit, what do you suppose he will do when in a situation of true discomfort and adversity?