It is foolish to wish for beauty.  Sensible people never either desire it for themselves or care about it in others.  If the mind be but well cultivated, and the heart well disposed, no one ever cares for the exterior.  So said the teachers of our childhood; and so say we to the children of the present day.  All very judicious and proper, no doubt; but are such assertions supported by actual experience? We are naturally disposed to love what gives us pleasure, and what more pleasing than a beautiful face–when we know no harm of the possessor at least?  A little girl loves her bird– Why?  Because it lives and feels; because it is helpless and harmless?  A toad, likewise, lives and feels, and is equally helpless and harmless; but though she would not hurt a toad, she cannot love it like the bird, with its graceful form, soft feathers, and bright, speaking eyes.  If a woman is fair and amiable, she is praised for both qualities, but especially the former, by the bulk of mankind: if, on the other hand, she is disagreeable in person and character, her plainness is commonly inveighed against as her greatest crime, because, to common observers, it gives the greatest offence; while, if she is plain and good, provided she is a person of retired manners and secluded life, no one ever knows of her goodness, except her immediate connections.  Others, on the contrary, are disposed to form unfavourable opinions of her mind, and disposition, if it be but to excuse themselves for their instinctive dislike of one so unfavoured by nature; and visa versâ with her whose angel form conceals a vicious heart, or sheds a false, deceitful charm over defects and foibles that would not be tolerated in another.  . Anonymous
About This Quote

In the quote above, the speaker is saying that it is foolish to wish for beauty as people who do so are not sensible and cannot see beyond the physical appearance. The speaker is also saying that people who have a sound mind and a sound character will not care about beauty, despite the fact that it exists. The speaker is saying that those with a good heart will not be swayed by physical appearance, no matter how beautiful a person may be. If the mind be but well cultivated, and the heart well disposed, no one ever cares for the exterior.

To put this in modern terms, if you want to be successful, you need to develop your mind and character. Good looking people are usually successful in life while ugly or unattractive people are not.

Source: Agnes Grey

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