What factors shape our perceptions of beauty?

Does the society we live in pre-condition our beauty ideals?

Do we find certain objects and people beautiful because of popular perception?

Do we refuse to view certain objects, people, characteristics, etc. as beautiful because society has proclaimed them 'ugly'?

Do prominent and/or repetitive images play a role in our personal beauty ideals?

Ex: Do we see celebrities such as Uma Thurman, Lindsey Lohan, Tyra Banks, etc. (all three of whom are less than easy on MY eyes) as beautiful because the media tells us they are?

Ex. 2: Minorities in the media are always represented by fairer skinned and finer featured members of their group. The image of the "beautiful and sexy black woman" as portrayed in the media is perpetually light-skinned, straight-haired, and with prominent Caucasian-type features. But I find darker black women with traditional 'African' features more attractive than their paler sisters.
Hispanic women are also similarly portrayed, the 'beautiful' and 'sexy' Hispanic woman who is for all intents and purposes, white.

Ex. 3: Popular belief holds that 'beautiful' women must be of a certain weight, age, body type, etc. and we are constantly bombarded with images reinforcing this view.

Ex. 4: Popular belief holds that rats are detestable and gross creatures, but I appreciate their unique beauty and the dignity with which they face their unfair, much maligned status.  The bubonic plague is over people!


How much are our individual tastes in beauty influenced by outside forces?

How much are our own beauty ideals based on our personal preferences?

Do we deny some things which please our eyes because we know others disparage them?

Do we view the world through our own personal windows, or through the frosted window of our society?

Well, I would like to know who was/were the person(s) who defined the term "beautiful"   We are constantly ovewhelmed by zillions of images of skinny, pretty women and are made to feel inferior. These images come across mostly from magazines, actors and actresses we see (starving themselves to a size zero bony body).

I believe, however, that the people we think of as attractive vary drastically from individual to individual.  Indeed, it is all a matter of taste.  Personally, I think that a lot of it has to do with one's early life experiences, much like a baby duck is imprinted with the image of its mother, boys and girls become imprinted with the images of the ones they love, are close to, etc, etc, etc, these images IMO become lasting impressions and somehow we map them in our minds and use them as patterns, hence enforcing the cycle even more with every generation.

tink

First, I like your questions.  I wish I could just blame it on the media. That would excuse a lot of us from what I suspect is actually collusion. I remember a million years ago, when I was young, there were these old bald-headed guys with visors writing our music and making our movies. But you know, they would ve dropped the whole thing if we hadnt lapped it up with such glee. I dont believe any generation is that much worse or better than the another. So I am thinking this may be a corny, classical case of supply meeting demand. These media folks follow a kind of trial-and-error approach. If they think tripe will sell, they make tripe.

I think beauty has yet to be defined. After much thought and study, I've come up with an educated conclusion. Beauty is unwritten and untrue. There's no real meaning to it. A lot of meanings are associated with beauty, but there's no real meaning. If beauty affects and compares to society, I'll have to work on finding answers on that too. I guess beauty really does come from the mind (and soul if you believe in it), and outer beauty isn't essential. A lot of different races are beautiful, not just the exotic Asians or the modernized Americans - everyone truly is beautiful in their own way. I never understood the whole "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and it doesn't explain much. I try to not say that very often, because it's not helpful at all.

well it is in the eye of the beholder but very few of us find different things beautiful. we often miss true beauty by taking it for granted and not really looking at the world around us. a journey by car is a series of flashing images whereas a journey on foot is sights, sounds, scents, communication, beauty, ugliness, violence and tranquility for example.

we often confuse beauty with sexual attraction. many [thin] women may be beautiful but are far from attractive because in a human being the beauty exists in the mind as much as the body, probably more. Having one's head up one's butt is not an attractive quality.

we all have the ability to see a little into each other. seeing somebody who isn't happy with themselves is to see a person who needs to resolve something and they seem unattractive, just by there being something that is [not right] with them.  beauty really is our recognition of healthiness. All human beauty traits are signs of good mental and physical health.

in the physical world, the exception is where something harmful is beautiful and it's normally because it is emulating something natural, ie a nuclear bomb detonation looks beautiful but is one of the most unhealthy events in our world. but in appearance and effect it has a lot in common with a sunrise. i think.

our perception of beauty and/or healthiness is exploited by people and by plants and animals in the natural world to trick prey in to a position of vulnerability.

good teeth, good skin, good hair, clear eyes, good proportions, not skinny or fat + body scent (which advertises the body's immune system) = good healthy potential partner/attractiveness.....but a beautiful person may not have all of those attributes.

Well, I can say that beauty is something you dont learn. Generally it has a formula, a perfection, that you cant define but is obvious.  A good example is when you see a horse. If he is a good horse no matter which breed it is, it will look fine, gorgeous. It probably has good conformation, well balanced and looks healthy.
I guess beauty is that. Good conformation, equality, and shine (health). You can apply this for everything even a stone!

Beauty is truth, subjective not conditioned.

QuoteQ: Why are babies so cute?

A: To keep us from killing them.  --Anon

What relationship is there between cuteness and beauty?

Between beauty, cuteness, and the attract-iveness of either or both?

Consider one of the purposes of makeup is to cover that which is perceived as flaws, thus creating the illusion of being closer to some 'ideal' we all know when we see it, (another is to mimic the visible physiological changes manifested during sexual arousal.)  When makeup is applied primarily for the former reason, both males and females are seen as more beautiful/attractive.  Of course, 'real men' don't wear makeup...

There are websites that present what researchers have so far found about our human sense of beauty/cuteness/attractiveness.  Some even let you 'play' with beauty.

Karen