Although Holden values intelligence in women, Holden often allows physical appearances cloud his judgment. Most people suppose like Holden does, and that is if someone is attractive, he/she will likely be chosen over a person who is not as attractive. Holden is a sixteen-year-old teen, who is experiencing rapid hormonal development. This means that the betterlooking the girl, the more interest he will have in her, even if she is dull-witted. If people could see inner beauty, they would not worry about outer beauty.
Since humans live in a physical world, they go on appearance. Inner beauty is reflected on outer beauty, creating a person an all-around beautiful being. Also, sometimes, inner beauty is not reflected on outer beauty, making a person who may not have the most desirable physical features. On the other hand, sometimes, inner beauty ravishes the outer beauty, making a person shallow, self-absorbed and/ or dull. Almost all the time, one notices a person’s physical appearance only for a moment, until the genuine inner beauty begins to attract that person.
One may speak to someone for a minute and find him/her pleasant or despicable at first, but as the conversation progresses, one may realize likable qualities and traits that were not as evident as they are now. Without even realizing it, one may find that person more and more charming because of his/her inner excellence. Being a teen myself, I tend to focus on physical features as well and tend to believe that inner beauty is non-existent. The point is that inner beauty is essential while physical features are not.
However, it is true that pleasant physical features can be a bonus, but it is something that is easily overlooked when compared with other traits. The glow of confidence and sex appeal originates mainly from within a person, not just from physical features. This inner beauty assists one in appreciating outer beauty. If one admires, appreciates and feels good about oneself, one will feel more confident about interacting with other people in the world. This is something Holden lacks, but will hopefully acquire before he becomes a sociopath. Holden is infatuated by, not in love with, the girl he meets at the lavender room of the Edmont Hotel.
This is another mistake he fulfills. Love and infatuation are both intense emotions that control individual’s actions (i. e. lifting a three thousand pound car to save a loved one). These feelings are often confused for one other by many people, including Holden, but the two feelings differ in their actuality of love, intensity, and final outcome. Infatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoning passion or love; addictive love, and usually occurs at the beginning of a relationship when sexual attraction is central.
On the other hand, love can be described as a feeling of intense affection for another person. It is often described as an emotion between two people, hence is also sometimes referred to as interpersonal love. Infatuation feels like all-consuming euphoria similar to recreational drug use (addictive chemical reactions in the brain), results in emptiness, and in temporary lust; while love exhibits feelings of deep affection, filled with contentment and confidence, which results in security, peace, and a solid partnership. Here, partners communicate and negotiate appropriate expectations and are loyal to one another.
The point is that infatuation is a dangerous thing that can lead to one’s destruction. No? For example, Romeo and Juliet did not adore one other but were merely infatuated. Their willingness to do anything for one another ultimately led to their deaths. Love is what people live for and is a powerful emotion in people’s lives, whether a person is a king, queen, poor, unemployed, alone, struggling, old, or just graduated with a Ph. D. , no one is happy without love in their life. The real mark of greatness is shown through love’s actions of kindness, compassion, elpfulness, and caring.
Instead of possessing a reckless commitment to satisfy one’s all-consuming lust, one must be loyal and love unconditionally to be content. Again, this is what Holden must progress in. It is essential for him to realize that he admires Jane and that he is only infatuated by prostitutes. The sooner Holden acquires this knowledge, the sooner rejection will become a minute problem and the sooner his mental health will improve. This is the only remotely sexual action that occurs between lane and Holden: it is more about comforting her than anything else.
Holden is a teenager who experiences serious mental illnesses, but nonetheless, he is a caring individual. He was and currently is enduring a horrible dilemma and chose not to elaborate on/discuss it, and as a result, his psychological state became fragile. On the other hand, if he decided to discuss his feelings with a cherished individual, a solution could have been discovered (avoiding his psychosis). As much as he tries to downplay the fact that he does not care about Jane by using diction like ‘hell and ‘bastard’, he cherishes her.
The point is that one should constantly be proud of who he/she is and not attempt to conceal it. No one should be ashamed of doing anything helpful or kind. Everyone should be pleased of being a good friend, of who they are, of themselves every time they make a good decision, of all the small things they have accomplished, and be pleased of their unique strengths. By being proud of who one is, one’s confidence increases, one displays honesty and likability, and life becomes worth living and nearly stress-free.
Once this occurs, one becomes energized, appreciates everything in life and becomes healthy (physically, mentally and spiritually). There will be no more sleepless nights or joint pain because one has learned to exist calmly and wisely. Also, the possibility of acquiring mental illnesses reduces by an excessive amount. Additionally, once one becomes grateful, he/ she will thank God for his/her health, becoming religious and cleansing oneself of his/her sins and hatred. Furthermore, one must acknowledge a problem from the beginning when it is inuscule so that immense problems like mental and physical illnesses can be circumvented.
Love is a cure for many diseases that gives patients the power to continue to struggle. With love, one becomes or remains sane, while gaining a caring companion to spend one’s life with. Love is not to be avoided but praised, and with love, one will transform from a horrible person into an incredible one. As for Holden, if he manages to obtain love, he will overcome his mental illnesses with newfound strength.