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Some people say that beauty is subjective, that what is beautiful or ugly to one person is not to another. There is some truth to this because perceptions of beauty have varied throughout history and between societies. For example, in medieval Europe having pale skin was considered attractive because it showed that you were a member of the upper classes since the only people who had tanned skin were those who worked outdoors and, consequently, were common labourers. Today however having a tan is considered by many to be attractive, although it is possible that this view may be in the process of changing as concerns grow over the negative health effects caused by tanning. As well, in past centuries it was considered attractive for women to have more weight than is currently popular because the curvacious form that went with the additional weight was considered a sign of sexual health.
However, despite the fact that ideas of beauty do vary somewhat there do seem to be some characteristics that are considered universally attractive. All societies seem to value proportional and symmetrical features. That is to say that your facial features and other body parts ought to be of the right proportion for your body size and, where features are found in pairs (such as eyes), they should be identical. If features are overly large or overly small, or if those found on one side of you face or body do not match up in size and location with those on the opposite, then it is generally considered unattractive, regardless of the society or time period in question. Additionally, all cultures appear to value clear skin and having straight, white teeth. Finally, it also seems a universal rule of beauty that men are expected to have shoulders wider than their hips and to be taller than women.
So, what does it matter whether you are attractive or not? Why should we care? Isn't "inner beauty" all that really matters? The simple, but unpleasant, answer is no. Inner beauty, or character, does matter but our outward attractiveness is also very important and plays a large role in whether or not we are happy and successful in life. There are certain careers where physical appearance is of importance and can influence your success. Acting comes to mind here but also in other professions where one is dealing with the public and where it is necessary or desirable for the public to feel a certain attraction or affinity to you such as sales or the service industry.
Outside the realm of work physical beauty also has a great effect on one's ability to find a mate as well. If you are unattractive it will be much harder to find a mate. Many people claim to only be interested in character traits when searching for a mate but studies have shown that, in reality, the primary consideration for all people (male and female) is physical appearance. Everyone is searching for an attractive mate.
This is not to say that other considerations besides attractiveness do not come into play when people engage in mate selection. People do take into consideration other things such as wealth, power and personality. In many societies women have traditionally been economically dependent on men and, because of this, the financial status of a male mate was an important factor to consider in determining whether or not to pair up with him. Since women were not permitted to have high paying jobs themselves they sought out a partner that could obtain one and thus provide for them and their children. Even today it is still a widespread expectation amongst many people that males should have a higher income than their female partners.
Personality is also another factor that comes into play during mate selection. If someone is attractive but is overly aggressive or possessive, or has some other truly unappealing personality trait, they may drive away potential mates even if they are physically attractive. Conversely, a person who may not fit the standard definition of "beautiful" may yet attract mates due to positive traits. Still, it would appear that physical appearance plays a major role, arguably the primary role, in mate selection. If a person is physically unattractive they will have to possess a lot of other positive characteristics in order to compensate for that disability and, conversely, a beautiful person will be able to get away with having a lot of negative traits and still attract a mate.
Does this mean that all the people who fail to attain the highest standards of beauty (which, let's face it, is the majority of the population) should despair? Definitely not. As already mentioned, appearance isn't everything. People can and do compensate for a lack of attractive appearance. Also, many people judge themselves too harshly, seeing them as grossly unattractive when this is not the reality. They may not be the most stunningly attractive men and women but so what? We can't all expect to be Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie just as we can't all expect to be Albert Einstein or Madam Curie. People who are of average intelligence don't spend all day beating themselves up for not being geniuses and neither should people who are of average appearance beat themselves up for not being exemplary beauties.
Therefore, in conclusion, let me make two statements. First of all, beauty does matter to how happy and successful we are in life. Saying otherwise would just be untruthful. However, on the other hand, it is not all important, you can still manage to find happiness despite flaws you may have in your physical appearance, although it is more of a struggle. Also, when assessing their own physical appearance, or the appearance of others, people need to be a little more forgiving because expecting perfection, whether in physical beauty, intelligence or in any other characteristic, is simply unrealistic and unjust. |
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Posted by hairytoad2005 on 2008-03-01 10:33:28 | Rating: | Views: 105
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beaty is in the eye of the beholder,
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Posted by bjm1
on 2008-03-01 10:47:09
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Yeah... like those 'phoney' playboy centerfolds... not a freckle or a pimple... give me 'real beauty' anytime!
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Posted by wlamebull
on 2008-03-01 11:10:56
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My measure of beauty really lies in a woman's personality. The final litmus. Of course, the sexual magnetism is indeed strong, but ultimately, it's a woman's personality that wins or loses it...
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Posted by Knoxxie03
on 2008-03-01 19:01:08
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