Would You Rather . . .

be smart but not beautiful, or beautiful but not smart?

That question was a very popular one about six months ago, during our Mindanao Palaro held in Davao City. It was a question picked by our region's candidate during a beauty search.

Of course, if I will be asked the same question I would rather be smart. Being smart is not only about intellect and how mentally capable a person is, but it is also about being self-confident and knowing how to carry one's self before the public. As our candidate puts it, if one is smart, then she knows how to project herself beautifully.

I think that it is still important to be good on the inside. Beauty fades in time, but our personality doesn't. But we all have our reasons for choosing which, and all our reasons can be valid.

So what's your pick?

Personhood Development

Both men and women were created equal, would you agree? We are created in God's own image and likeness, so why would there be someone who is superior than the other?

It has become a paradigm that men are more powerful than men, especially in the physical sense. In most situations it may apply but we should not restrict our perception to that only. When we say personhood development, there should be a balance between masculinity and femininity in every individual, whatever the gender.

That balance is called Androgyny. For every man and woman, there's masculinity and femininity within them, which should be balanced. Let us have the symbol triangle represent masculinity while the circle as femininity. This is what I am right now.



It is so because the masculinity within me has not yet reached its full growth. I can do some masculine tasks, but not that much. But the triangle is not small either, because I also do what men of the house do, that is to earn for the family's basic necessities. And while hubby is away for work on weekdays, I stand as the kids' mom and dad in concurrent capacity.

Martyr women would have a symbol looking like the one below, and needs to improve her masculinity in order not to be manipulated.



Dominant men would have this symbol and for them to be more sensitive to others, must increase his femininity.



But to have the optimum personhood development, one must be like this (for female and male, respectively).


So, how do you symbolize yourself?