After 40, Your Appearance Is Up to You!
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U.S. President Abraham Lincoln personally interviewed a job candidate. His aides found the candidate impressive, yet Lincoln chose not to hire him. When an aide inquired, “Do you think he lacks ability?”
Lincoln replied, “I don’t like his appearance.”
Confused, the aide asked, “Is it his fault if he doesn’t look good?” To which Lincoln responded, “A person’s face before the age of 40 is shaped by their parents, but after 40, it reflects who they are.”
Indeed, individuals must assume responsibility for their appearance after the age of 40. There are two types of appearances: physical and spiritual. Physical appearance refers to facial features shaped during childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, influenced by genetics and ultimately determined by one's parents. An individual’s level of attractiveness often stems from habits formed in previous lives. In contrast, spiritual appearance emerges from life experiences past the age of 40, including personal growth, education, marriage, entrepreneurship, or career development. These profound and lasting experiences mold our inner character. Over time, because of differences in temperament, habitual expressions leave permanent marks on our faces, which eventually become part of our appearance. Therefore, life experiences, personality, and character gradually affect a person's looks and demeanor.
As a person matures, their appearance increasingly reflects the influence of their character. Thus, upon reaching middle age, one must take responsibility for their face. Generous individuals often possess faces that radiate good fortune, while those with gentle temperaments usually have soft and pleasing features. Conversely, those with particularly harsh personalities frequently have severe expressions; many middle-aged and older women with poor character often exhibit unkind looks, which people refer to as having a “hard life” or a “husband-killing” appearance.
Every fortune has its inevitable causes, just as wealth stems from generosity and nobility arises from humility. Beautiful appearances result from gentle and kind natures. Individuals who are more compassionate consistently emanate a remarkable inner radiance, making them increasingly appealing and enjoyable companions. Conversely, those who are overly selfish, cunning, and calculating tend to appear unattractive, even ugly. Even if they are fortunate to be born with good looks, unlikable traits will gradually manifest on their faces, such as a coldness, which makes them “pleasant at first glance” but unappealing upon closer interaction.
Appearance reflects a person’s long-term mindset and actions, also hinting at their future fate. Physiognomy is an accumulation of experience; the face mirrors the heart, and the heart knows the future. Each individual has three aspects: external appearance, bone structure, and aura:
Character is inscribed on the lips, happiness is visible in the eyes. Rationality and emotion resonate in the voice, sincerity and deceit are discernible in the pupils. Posture manifests talent and demeanor, while gait indicates self-awareness. Expressions convey current emotions, and the brow reflects past experiences. Clothing reveals aesthetic taste, and hairstyle expresses personality. One's profession is evident in their hands, while refinement is apparent in their feet. The lower class focuses on superficial appearance, the middle class on bone structure, and the upper class on aura.
The best way to truly understand a person is to observe their aura. The heart and aura are interconnected; the heart influences the aura, and the aura reflects the heart's transformations. The flow of aura manifests as karma; some karma accumulates unnoticed, like sediment beneath the surface. We, ordinary people, usually see only a calm exterior, unaware that the power of karma is about to erupt like volcanic lava. When the heart is at peace, the mind is calm, and one is empty, there will come a time when you perceive what others cannot.
Believe that true beauty comes from within, radiating outward, causing those who see it to feel admiration unknowingly. The renowned actress Audrey Hepburn was stunning in her youth and remained captivating in her later years. Why does she still embody the essence of a goddess? The secret lies in her parting words:
If you want beautiful lips, speak kind words;
If you want lovely eyes, look for the good in others;
If you want a slim figure, share your food with the hungry;
If you want beautiful hair, let a child’s fingers run through it;
If you want graceful posture, remember you're not the only one walking.
Your appearance reflects the choices you make in life.
Thus: beauty is the greatest reward from heaven for a good person.