They say beauty is only skin deep, but I prefer to say beauty goes all the way to the bone structure.
As explained in my previous blogs, being conventionally attractive simply means you fall within common beauty standards. Beauty standards should have very little room for interpretation – actually, no room for interpretation – as it serves as the baseline for human evolution. Contrary to popular belief, beauty is a measurable quality that evolved to optimize the reflection of great health.
You’re now probably thinking, “Oh great wise one. If everything we know about beauty is a lie, then where does this misconception come from?”
I’m so glad you asked!
Each country or culture has its individualized desirable features; however, these features correlate to an underlying desire for good health.
For instance, East Asian countries have a preference for fair skin because culturally this meant you were from a higher class and did not have to work in the fields, subsequently suggesting you had the wealth to support a healthy lifestyle. Americans and Europeans tend to prefer tan skin because tan people look healthy and active. Most Africans prefer women with larger, more filled-out figures as this also signifies a healthier body.
The greatest flaw I find in one’s reasoning when acknowledging the objectiveness of beauty standards is the idea of confusing the concept of attractiveness with beauty. Attractiveness is the subjective sector of beauty standards.
Think of attractiveness as the colorful spectrum within the realm of beauty standards. Just as different wavelengths of light create a wide range of colors, people’s individual preferences and perceptions shape the vibrant tapestry of what we find attractive. Whereas being objectively beautiful is simply the prism that disperses the light.
The prism is an unchanging component that remains constant, while the idea of attractiveness varies from person to person relying on our diverse experiences and backgrounds to shape our unique and subjective interpretation of what is beautiful.
Shifting focus, let’s now explore the common features that often form the foundation of beauty standards: facial symmetry, clear skin, and balanced sexual dimorphism.
Some researchers believe that high facial symmetry could signal health because as we develop, age, or get injured (such as a broken nose), the symmetry will decrease. For this reason, a person with a symmetrical face gives off the impression of having a good immune system. Most people will naturally want this because they subconsciously want these genes in their offspring.
As for clear skin, it often indicates a person’s health and cleanliness. Seeing someone with a lot of acne, signals to our brain that they are not healthy and clean, even though they may have acne due to other reasons.
Sexual dimorphism is the development of characteristics in each sex that distinguish them from the opposite sex. In my past blogs, I explained the difference in yin and yang features where (generally speaking) women like men with prominent yang features, and men like women with mainly yin features.
All these aspects are interconnected to form a greater, grander picture. I hope you continue to stick around to learn more about the wonders of beauty!
Works Cited
Team, Magnum Workshop Content. “Is Beauty Subjective?” Magnum Workshop, magnumworkshop.com/is-beauty-subjective.