The Purpose of Beauty

(a life raft for terrible times)

Abundant and over-flowing, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren became stars after World War II, when film goers were haunted by years of food rationing. In describing Taylor’s face as “a prisoner’s dream”, Truman Capote nailed the way we reach for beauty as a life raft for terrible times.

This really hit me when I was selected for Jury Duty on a murder trial in L.A a decade ago. I made it through two weeks of graphic evidence, being presented without warning with a blown up photo of a sawn off head, and other times just stultifying forensic accounting details. The day a witness took the stand who happened to be beautiful was the only time I ever relaxed and was able to reset. Her genetic good fortune was mine for the afternoon.