Why is so much importance placed on beauty?

Question

i was having a conversation about makeup after seeing the video unpretty(tlc). i just made one statement against their whole "makeup is just to enhance beauty" and they just seem to flip.

why?

i bet if i started talking about education thay wouldn't be so touchy then. i bad mouth makup(weaves, wigs, plastic surgery etc) and they act like the world exploded.

Answer 1

It's the way nature set things up. It is a natural thing, for animals including humans. It is an intial way of contacting a mate, visually making yourself noticable to others.

I don't believe it is really an emphasis on beauty that may upset you but rather a pressure over society that there is only one kind of beauty that is accetable.

Answer 2

It can be seen in many ways, and the reason so much importance is placed on beauty is because we're all social creatures - humans like to fit in and feel accepted.

As for makeup, plastic surgery, and all that hooey, it is based upon society's standard of what is beautiful. Because looking good by doing what people say is beautiful, a lot of people have had it drilled into their minds that that IS beauty.

If you look at it from a more primitive point of view, attractiveness is a sign of good health and signifies the person is likely to be able to bear healthy children or be a strong protector to keep the human species going which, was very important back when we actually had to hunt for food.

Now that we are all so very comfy and don't have to actually survive to live, we focus on the more superficial things, beauty being one of them. Let's face it. It's hard to fight our hormones at times, sex is the feel good thing to do, and looking beautiful just makes that all the more better.

Hopefully that is helping answering your question. To go back to makeup though, because society decided that makeup is beautiful, everyone else thinks so too. That's why your statement probably caused such a fuss. If you're not "in" with society, then something must be wrong with you!

Don't worry, I agree with your viewpoint.

Answer 3

Go figure. I found that the more beautiful the person was the more ugly they where in their hearts. The nicest where the not so. I think beauty is very over rated. I am not great looking only average so I am in the middle of the road. I have never gone for the good looking guys, I ALWAYS WAS ATTRACTIVE TO THE WARM HEARTED. An as for girls they where the worst for conceited personalities. I have seen more beautiful people acting ugly than homely people being mean. Over all I find them mead cold hearted and selfish than the average person.

Answer 4

i think that the reason that men, in particular, place so much value on the current "norm" of "beauty" is because if they have a mate that is considered by other men as beautiful, then in their little heads, not those that sit atop their shoulders, they feel superior to the other men. men need to feel stronger, smarter, more clever, and better than other men because men for ages and ages were (and still are) the sex that goes out on the hunt. they compete with one another to slay the dragon and drag it back to the cave, to the hearth of their "beautiful" woman, who has THEIR children, not another man's children unless he is already dead. "his" beautiful keeper of his hearth is envied and coveted by the other men. men are egocentric and having the one that is considered as most "beautiful" makes him feel "better" and "more special" than the other men. (why do you think men fight one another with such malice)?

however, being a woman, i ask men, 'what is beauty anyways? is it only the exterior, only the shells that we use during this lifetime, the shells that will die and then become compost?' i ask, 'is beauty not compatibility, empathy, understanding (you), being your best friend, always in your corner, smiling at you and laughing with you? or is beauty only a facade? what beauty will you have in your mate when she becomes old? will you leave her for someone younger just because her skin is wrinkled, like yours is?'

and i ask, what is beauty today? the laws are changing right now in that models must be at least 125 lbs. no more will their employers put themselves into the position of getting sued by the families of the models that killed themselves by puking out their meals, or not getting nourishment, only to fit in that beautiful dress, with her beautiful hair, and her beautiful makeup and shoes, for that minute she walks down the ramp.

all of my friends look different. some would be considered beautiful with or without make-up and some would not. some are overweight, some are too skinny. but which of them have those wonderful laugh lines around their eyes and mouths? well, all of my friends do! that is where their beauty is--it relates to good mental attitude and to the ability to laugh and to laugh at themselves too.

i find men very immature and very shallow when they allow themselves to be fooled into marrying a woman based mostly on the exterior that she presents to the world. i get tired of reading on the dating sites that a man wants a woman that "takes care of herself," which means that she goes to workout at least 100 times a week, goes to the manicurist twice a week and to her hair stylist once a week, and to buy the newest and most stylish (and therefore expensive) clothes and shoes and coats and purses until they overload all the closets in the apartment. and it is an apartment and not a house, because all those things cost a whole lot of money.

we should stop putting so much value on how people look. i think that when a person treats me well, he or she holds a beauty that is far more special than how they are made up or what they wear.

Answer 5

I'm a Muslim woman and am taught to not ruin or change my appearance for any reason. I am respected for my mind and am taught to dress modestly. I think the reason women want to wear makeup and place so much importance on their body and looks is because every day in the West they are degraded. The ways they are degraded are that there are music videos with naked women dancing like $luts on television, modeling where you have to "be skinny and look good" to attract a mate or succeed in life, too many commercials of naked women showing off their bodies in Victoria Secret magazines, Playboy, porn, strippers, etc.

Answer 6

It's because in our society today, the thing that attracts us is beauty.

I'm sad to say it, but it's true.

Guys will want to go out will a girl who is pretty, maybe wears makeup, and is thin. There not first attracted to (sorry to say) an ugly girl.

We see this concept everyday, makeup is to enhance beauty, to enhance getting peoples attention. I'm glad I don't want peoples attention. I'd rather be an ugly girl with beautiful insides than a pretty girl who paints her face everyday who doesn't know right from left. (I'm not trying to offend people who wear makeup, but those who are just obsessed with there looks) I see girls everyday in high school wearing tons of makeup. In 20 years, no one will care what you look like in high school. On your deathbed, it won't be about how pretty you WERE it will be about what you achieved.

I think I may have gotten a tad off-subject.

Answer 7

there is a scientific explanation for that, however, it evades me at the moment. there have been studies done with infants viewing a procession of photos of people who were either more, or less, "pretty"--and something to do with symmetry of the faces. the more symmetrical, the more considered "pretty".the infants responded more positively to faces that were "prettier" than those of photos of less attractive faces.
in nature, including humans, symmetry is a sign of good genetics, for some reason, and less attractive or less symmetrical potential mates have less of a chance of being chosen as mates.
I almost never wear makeup, but I did in my teens & twenties, til I saw from someone more experienced how it wrecks your skin. I get mistaken for young thirties frequently. but I rarely wear it unless I am bored and tired of seeing the same face in the mirror.
I loathe how pop media push one standard cut-out vision of beauty, esp very young, skinny (to the point of anorexia & bulimia), and don't forget, the blonde factor and plasti-**** are at the top of that list. what a crock of crap...

is it the Dove campaign for real beauty? I think that's really cool.

Answer 8

because people are ugly ,selfish and status seekers. doesn't mean it s bad-just a fact-- its also a quest for individuality which in itself is a contradiction -because we want out individuality(e.g beauty) recognized by others and lauded -whichh in turn makes us feel better about ourselves because we are weak and needy- hence lack of true individuality-- and as we all know--its part of the mating rituaL--ANIMALS FISH EVEN INSECTS BEAUTIFY THEMSELVES TO FIND A MATE--IT S A SURVIVAL INSTINCT--Based in all creatures --but us being the smart creatures we are--we just figured out to market it--and of course give it brand names.
the importancxe hat we place on it came from marketing influences--if you look back at the renanisance you will see that beauty was defined differently--and as you know even today styles and trends come and go--so it also feeds into a persons general concept of being up to date--being in the know--being and existing in the (made up) world we know and live in,
but as a man--from my point of view-- i think make up sucks--- yes a little here and there maybe-- but i prefer natural-- i mean if i am going to be someones mate --i don't want her to be putting make up before we go to bed--or give birth to made up children--fashion is good and makes a statement and can help --but when it takes over your natural look and the natural you-- then i think you have slipped into nothingness and an empty(but made up) void and have lost all sense of true beauty--because as we know beauty is only skin deep.
cheers.

Answer 9

Sadly there are lot's of people out there who judge others by the look, not by what they are! Make up is a lie, it tries to hide the true face!

Answer 10

Since women are not willing to cook, clean or provide (money) for a man, what else have they to offer but love and looks ?