Extended Definition Essay - Ugly

More To Ugly Than Meets The Eye

When hearing the word ugly, one typically perceives it as the outward appearance that a person or thing projects to the world. Nevertheless, the outward appearance of someone or something is not the only way that “ugly” can be defined. When a person comes off as rude or unpleasant, their actions can be considered to be ugly. Commonly defined, ugly relates to the outward appearance, however, it too can be defined as an inward emotion that affects one’s actions. When looking at something that is displeasing to the eye, you are most likely going to describe it as “ugly”. The first and foremost use of the word “ugly” in our society comes when someone is describing the physical features of a person that appears different or strange to their own eye. We are quick to jump to the conclusion that if what we see is not natural to us, it’s ugly. Our fast pace society sometimes doesn’t take the time to look past the first layer of a person’s complex appearance. It’s an evil that often hurts many people, places, or things. We often judge before we learn and because of that we miss many opportunities to enhance our own lives because we tend to fear what we don’t take the time to understand. Furthermore, the perception of ugly can be deceiving. Ugliness isn’t only shown on the outside; a person can be attractive to the eye while on the inside the thoughts and the driving force behind them can be filled with ugly and monstrous intentions. When a parent warns their child to look out for strangers, the child’s perception of a stranger is of an ugly or menacing person. However, more often than not, when a child is abducted by a stranger the outward appearance of that person is not what we would deem “ugly”, but the emotion or psychological feelings that the person carries inside them is what really bears their “ugliness”. In conclusion, there’s more to “ugly” than meets the eye. It’s easy to judge someone based on