Why do we live in a society which reserves the right to humilate people if they are deemed to be plain?

Question

Good looks are often either accident of birth or an illusion where a woman (or man for that matter) has corrected themselves with make up/surgery etc etc

They are not therefore 'achieved' - yet despite this we as a society continue to revere the beautiful and deride those who through no fault of their own were not born naturally stunning etc

Is it biological in origin? Males looking for visual cues as the best mate etc? Or cultural?

Answer 1

It is everything.....not one certain thing. There is also the maturity factor to consider. Every guy wants to date the cutest sexiest girl in class....they have a fantasy. As you mature, what is on the inside becomes more important and the respect people have for you. Also, people tend to shy away from heavy, obese people because it shows an aura of that person not caring about themselves and being healthy. So, in answering your question.....it is everything.

Answer 2

I believe it is partly biological but that cultural cues have played an ever increasing part in the promotion of what is ideal and attractive. In the past, different ideals have been promoted as the ideal. Today the media reinforces those images and ideals hence the growing acceptance of cosmetic surgery to "correct" what nature has given us .It is , however skewed very, very differently along the gender divide.

Answer 3

smiley i like your questions tonight are you drinking a good bottle of red wine keep it up.

at work today we had a huge debate about the programme about f**k off where fat that was on BBC 3 last night. We were all shocked about the way the clothes industry has the right to decide the size of clothes they make for people to buy. the arrogance was breath taking. the girls they showed trying to find nice clothes was really sad. i do not understand if so many peoples sizes are big why has nobody properly started to market clothes and sell the on the high street, if i had the money i would go for it myself. i can't believe that big people do not like fashionable clothes as when i was in America last year you looked at the majority of big people because they looked trendily dressed.
smiley my last point would be that you have highlighted a old cliche and we normal people do not judge people on their appearance. the people shown on telly are just the exception worth making a programme about, i have a friend who is paid by the T.V companies to council are poor fellow humans

Answer 4

I once worked in a temping agency where 'uglies' were not allowed! Discrimination is an ugly thing itself. I have met incredibly attractive looking people who were really thick or vain and plain or even ugly people who were so interesting, fascinating and good to be around. Not all ugly people are nice and not all beautiful people are horrible. We unfortunately often get judged by our looks, size, dress sense, wealth etc...You have to judge each person as you get to know them. Looks etc are not reason to judge, unfortunately people always will. Just be better than that.

Answer 5

I don't think we reserve the right to do so, it is the result of peer pressure and trying to fit in. Hollywood and the media glorify the beautiful and young people aspire to that. Beauty has become rather generic and superficial yet everyone thinks that's what they should aspire to, outside of finding inner beauty. Rudeness has no excuse.

Answer 6

Its only the lonely ...(cue for a song) that look upon those qualities, but human nature in all of us look for the strong in both sexes.

Answer 7

I wasn't aware we did> I am plain but I have never been insulted, or perhaps I have and just never realised

Answer 8

plain falls off the radar, being ugly puts you on center stage.

Answer 9

I don't think we do. I think Hollywood and the TV world do, but that's not real life anyway.

Answer 10

people are rarely punished for being plain ... they're usually abused if they're ugly.