We experience beauty through visual and aural means, and the experience is not solely contained within the skull. Beauty connects people to objects and to communities of appreciation. We feel joy and happiness from beauty, but what does it mean to be beautiful? And how do we recognize beauty? Here are some things to consider….and remember that beauty is not a fixed attribute, but a subjective experience. Here are some reasons why beauty is not a fixed attribute.
The first thing to remember is that standards of beauty are constantly changing. We often see images of what constitutes beauty, and how we should achieve it. In society, beauty standards are often arbitrary, and can differ greatly from culture to culture. While most people agree that certain women and men are beautiful, standards of beauty are not static. They change over time, so it’s hard to determine if a standard of beauty is appropriate for anyone. But the most important factor in beauty is health.
The classical conception of beauty is based on the idea that beauty is the arrangement of parts into an aesthetically pleasing whole. Objects that are symmetrical in shape and size are considered beautiful, because symmetry is one of the key elements of beauty. Objects with perfect symmetry can be considered beautiful, but asymmetrical objects are also considered beautiful. If you’re interested in the history of beauty, you can read about the development of its history and find out if it’s still valid today.
The classical conception of beauty differs from modern concepts of beauty. Aristotle and Plato disagree on how beauty should be defined. The classical conception of beauty treats beauty as a matter of proportion and mathematical ratios. For instance, a Greek sculptor’s mouth was similar to modern fashion. Similarly, the Greek chin was round and smooth, without dimples….these differences are why beauty is such a hard concept to define!
Historically, the Romans adopted many of the Greek practices of beauty. The Roman poet Ovid created the first beauty manual. By this time, makeup was known to exist and upper-class women followed the advice of their aristocratic poet. Women would tint their gray hair and apply wax to their wrinkled skin, and even replace their eyebrows with fur! The practice continued until the Renaissance, and lasted until the 17th century. There are countless examples of classical beauty, but the practice was largely based on class.
Despite all this, the beauty industry is huge, and has spawned countless ridiculous products, from tooth-whitening toothpaste to shampoo that contains caviar and white truffles. Not to mention the thousands of fashion items, countless slimming products, and a host of fitness and weight loss gimmicks. Beauty is a massive cultural force, and it has a close symbiotic relationship with celebrity-oriented media.