Like it or not, somebody is eventually going to take it upon themselves to comment on how you look. But often they’ll use words that can be hard to interpret. For example, what does “you look so radiant” mean?
Other examples that can throw you off (they do for me) are when someone says you look tired. Or, they might say you look “flushed.”
Perhaps one of the most mysterious is the term “radiant.” The inference is that it means you look good. But how, exactly? What does “you look radiant” really mean?
The notion of looking radiant goes back to the 19th century. Wealthy nobles would host dinner parties where everyone dressed up. The women would wear thick makeup, deliberately designed to enhance various features of the face.
What does ‘you look radiant’ mean?
Radiant, in a literal sense, means that someone is “radiating beauty.” In other words, you have a healthy glow to your skin. It’s the look that some young people get after spending a day doing physical activity in bright sunshine.
They look reinvigorated and happy, and their skin shines. Sometimes the face even has a dewy overall look, without the use of makeup.
People will often substitute the word “radiant” for “glowing” too. Both of these terms essentially mean the same thing. You look so good that your face is literally brightening up the rest of the world.
Why the word radiance is confusing
Of course, the reason this word creates so much confusion is that it isn’t just referring purely to aesthetics. People also mean it in the sense that you look happy or healthy. In other words, it’s also a reflection of processes going on inside both your body and mind.
Philosophically, the notion of radiance is hard to get your head around. But there are practical ways to help understand it. There are the basics you’ve likely heard more than a few times now, such as:
- Sleep long enough
- Get plenty of exercise time
- Eat fruits and veggies and drink enough water
But there are other methods too. For instance, hyaluronic acid skin treatment can help you look more radiant. The substance leaks into the face, plumping up the skin so it appears fuller, rounder, and potentially more youthful than before.
There is also evidence to suggest that the milk thistle herb supports all-around radiance by promoting healthy liver function. With this supplement, the body is better able to process toxins and eliminate them.
Radiance as part of the culture
In many ways, radiance is ideal. It’s what many people would like to achieve, were their lives not so stressful. It’s a sign that you have achieved health and contentment, and it signifies that you’re in a good place, both mentally and physically.
In many ways, it is something that is very similar to beauty. Many philosophers define beauty as “that which is hard to achieve.” Kant said that beautiful evokes happy feelings, so perhaps you are radiant when you feel good from the inside out.
In the past, being slightly overweight was actually a challenge because rich foods were so scarce. So, when you see images of beautiful women depicted in art, they’re always curvy. They feel good about themselves without stressing about losing weight, which is sadly not often a reality for women today.
Today, thinness is hard to achieve because of stress, the food environment, and personal well-being problems. Perhaps being slim has become the standard of beauty because of its relative rarity.
The same thing applies to the concept of radiance. It is notoriously challenging to achieve because it is a polluted, sleep-deprived world.
For a lot of people, surviving the day is a challenge. They’re not thinking long-term. Thus, radiance never quite happens. As someone who runs their own business, I totally get that! Some days sure go smoother than others.
‘You look radiant’ is a compliment
When somebody tells you that you look radiant, they’re trying to compliment you. The person usually wants to lift you up but does so in a way that isn’t sexual.
How you react to this depends on your personal mental space. You might like the idea that other people think you look good. At the same time, you may not want them to comment at all.
Usually, though, being radiant implies that you’re already in a positive frame of mind. You take the uplifting things that people say at face value and appreciate them.
You also like to share your secrets with other people. Eventually, you become a kind of guru.
Being outwardly cheerful is great for both physical and mental health. Achieving radiance or a healthy “glow” is vital for delaying the onset of disease and helping you make the best use of your health possible.
Final thoughts
Knowing that you look great on the outside can also be a big stress-buster. It’s something that allows you to stop focusing on how you appear and instead, look outward at the world. Remember, if you look radiant, many people will want to know your secret. Whether you tell them or not is up to you!